The Texas Rancher's Family

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  “Where now?” he asked.

  Her spirits rose in anticipation. “There’s only one place I want to go.”

  Half an hour later, they were back on the Triple Canyon, heading up to the bluffs. Mac parked the SUV next to the gazebo, put the windows partially down and pushed the bench seat back as far as it would go.

  Cool evening air scented with sage floated over them.

  His eyes trailed over her. “This could become a habit.”

  Erin released her seat belt, then swung herself over onto his lap, the cotton circle of her Western skirt spreading out around them. Delighting in the way they were turning each other on, she wound her arms around his neck and bent her head. “We agreed finding each other was a gift. So that means....whenever we need each other...whenever we want to feel better...we’ll find a way to be together.” For as long as they could. All she knew for certain was that she did not want their love affair to end.

  Mac ran his fingers through her hair, rubbing the silky ends. “You do know how to sweet-talk a man,” he teased.

  A mixture of tenderness and affection swept through her. “I know how to sweet-talk you.” She fused her lips to his, slipped her tongue into his mouth and drank in the essence of him. He reciprocated, kissing her back greedily, his lips molding to hers until she could barely breathe.

  Wishing it wasn’t temporary, knowing full well it was, she settled her weight over his growing hardness. He shifted against her, the fly of his jeans rubbing erotically against the most sensitive part of her. Erin let out a sigh and he did it again and again. Then reached around behind her, grasping the zipper at the nape of her neck and bringing it down to mid-spine. Parting the edges of her top, he drew it down over her shoulders, pushing her bra down, too. Erin pressed her lips to the top of his head as her nipples sprang free of the constricting cloth, eager for his touch.

  Mac chuckled and ran a hand playfully beneath the elastic of her panties. “These, too,” he said, his tone a thrillingly rough command.

  Exactly what she had been thinking! Her desire building, she kept her gaze on his and moved aside just long enough to do as requested. Heart pounding, she settled back over him.

  He smiled. His eyes heavy-lidded and sexy, gazed at her even more rapaciously.

  Moving one hand up and down her spine, he palmed her breasts with the other, cupping the weight, rubbing the tender tips, until she writhed against him.

  “Mac,” she whispered desperately, thrilling with anticipation all over again.

  “I know, sweetheart. I know exactly what you want.” His hand dropped to the juncture between her thighs. Threaded through the silken curls to the seam, and the sensitive spot hidden within. “What you need...”

  He moaned at the way she responded. “Damn, you feel so good.”

  She smiled as they continued to kiss. “I know what would feel better.”

  He laughed at her teasing and let her undo his belt, unfasten his jeans. Slip her hand inside. To her pleasure, he was hot, damp and as ready for her as she was for him.

  Impatient now, Erin lifted her weight so she was poised above him, resting on her knees. “Help me.” She pushed at his jeans. Chuckling, he raised up and hooked his hands in the waistband.

  With her help, they pushed them down to midthigh. Eager to feel him inside her, she cupped his legs with hers, and slowly, erotically lowered her body until it rubbed against him, but stopped short of taking him in. Mac groaned.

  “I want you,” Erin whispered.

  “I want you, too.” He undid his shirt. She spread the cloth. Then moved forward until her breasts were nestled in the hard, hair-covered musculature of his chest. He groaned and entered her with one smooth, long stroke.

  Erin gasped as the heat and strength of him invaded. Her nerve endings exploded with sensation. Still kissing him hotly, rapaciously, she lifted herself, moving along the length of him. Inching back down again, she took him fully inside her, then eased provocatively away.

  Not content to let her call all the shots, Mac slid his palms beneath her skirt and settled his hands on her bare hips. Directing the motion, the speed, he kissed and consumed, and made love to her, until there was nothing in the dark Texas night but the two of them, and this moment in their lives.

  And Erin knew, whether she wanted to admit it or not, that the day Mac Wheeler had walked into her store her life had changed. Forever.

  Chapter Twelve

  “What time did you get in last night?” Bridget asked the next morning when Erin walked into the kitchen to find a wholesome breakfast of oatmeal with blueberry muffins already made.

  Her body still tingling from the aftereffects of the rigorous “activity” the evening before, Erin went straight for the coffeepot and poured herself a mug. “A little after one, I think.” Actually, it had been more like 2:00 a.m., but who was counting?

  Bess slanted her a sly glance. “You must really like him.”

  “Yeah, I haven’t known you to pass up that ten-o’clock bedtime of yours for anyone.” Bridget buttered a piping-hot muffin.

  Erin looked down her nose at them. “Ha, ha.”

  Bess finished her oatmeal while standing with her back to the counter. “Seriously, he’s a supernice guy. We hope it works out for you.”

  Erin scooped cereal into a bowl. She added a sprinkling of Texan pecans and dried cherries, then took a seat at the table. “There’s nothing to work out. Mac’s headed back to Philadelphia as soon as his business here is finished.”

  “Then that’s reason enough to keep him hanging forever, isn’t it?” Bess teased, just as Mac walked into the kitchen.

  Bess looked at him in alarm. “You heard that, didn’t you?”

  His eyes fell on Erin. She basked in the warmth and tenderness of his gaze.

  He turned back to Bess. “Yep.”

  Bridget lifted a brow. “And yet you’re smiling.”

  Of course he was smiling, Erin thought a little irritably. The two of them had had a rollicking good time the evening before. First at the dance hall, then on the bluffs. Which would have all been fine if she was able to fulfill her end of their bargain, and keep her feelings and expectations within the boundaries of a consensual short-term affair. Instead, she was on the verge of falling head over heels in love with him.

  “And you’re frowning!” Bridget pointed out to her sister.

  No surprise there, either, Erin thought, since her growing feelings for Mac were going to leave her feeling heartbroken when he inevitably left Texas. Worse, she’d have no one to blame but herself!

  He edged closer, inundating her with his clean, freshly showered scent. “You feeling okay?” he asked, his gaze skimming her protectively.

  Erin blushed.

  Before she could say anything more, Sammy and Stevie burst into the kitchen. Heather was close behind them.

  “Mom, look!” They pointed in the direction of the parking area between the house and the barns. “Dad’s here! We saw his truck from the upstairs windows!”

  G.W.? Erin bit down on a string of not very nice words.

  The boys grabbed their ribbons from the kitchen counter and raced out the back door.

  Bridget and Bess exchanged apprehensive glances. “Want us to run interference for you?” Bridget asked.

  Mac seemed to be wondering the same thing.

  Erin shook her head. “No...I’ll handle it.” She strode out the door, while Mac and Heather stayed in the kitchen with her sisters.

  When she reached them, the boys were standing with G.W., eagerly expounding on field day. “See?” Stevie said. “I got this ribbon for the rope climb. I made it all the way to the top!”

  “And I got this ribbon for the long jump,” Sammy said. “I jumped farther than anybody in my entire class!”

  G.W. smiled, pulled each boy in for an exuberant, simultaneous one-arm hug, then ruffled their hair affectionately. “That’s great, boys! Really great. And I want to hear all about it in just a minute. But first I’ve got
to talk business with your mom for a second.”

  He reached into his truck and emerged with a thick envelope bearing the insignia of the oil company he represented. “This is the offer. Horizon Oil wants an answer by Monday at the latest. Or I’ll take their offer to your neighbor.”

  Not about to argue with him in front of the boys, Erin merely nodded. “Thank you for dropping this off, G.W.,” she said pleasantly.

  The boys, sensing she’d said all she had to say on the subject, interjected themselves excitedly once again.

  “Can Dad take us to school this morning, Mom?” Sammy asked.

  “It would be a good chance for us to catch up. And—” G.W. winked amenably “—for me to show them the presents I brought them.” He reached into his truck once again and emerged with two pairs of inline skates the boys had been asking for. He was immediately engulfed in hugs.

  “Wow, Dad!” Sammy whooped.

  Stevie shouted, “You’re the best!”

  G.W. looked at Erin, awaiting her answer on the boys’ request.

  “I’d appreciate it if you would take them to school today,” Erin said. They needed to be with their dad, to make up for the previous days’ disappointment.

  And she had matters to tend to that were best done alone.

  Envelope in hand, she went back in to say a quick goodbye to everyone, including Mac and Heather, who were headed to the Montessori school. Then she left for town. En route, Erin called Travis Anderson. Luck was with her. The energy attorney had time to see her right away.

  “You haven’t opened the envelope,” Travis observed when she handed it over.

  Erin sat down at the conference table opposite him. “And I’m not going to, since there’s no point. I’m not going to lease the mineral rights, no matter what the oil company is offering.”

  “G.W. is not going to like that.”

  “No kidding.” They both knew how persistent her ex-husband could be when it came to a sale. “Which is why you’re telling him no, Travis.” If G.W. argued, it wouldn’t matter, because she and their kids wouldn’t have to hear it.

  Travis made a note. “Any idea what you’re going to do about the wind farm?”

  Time was dwindling. Yet, unlike G.W., Mac wasn’t pushing her one bit. At least not professionally.

  Personally was another matter.

  He was systematically tearing down the barriers between them. Opening up to her and deepening their friendship. Becoming an attentive, positive male influence for her sons, and inviting her to be the temporary stand-in-mommy for his daughter. His lovemaking had been so unforgettable she was beginning to think he might be having trouble limiting their relationship to a fling, too.

  And that made things very complicated.

  Aware that Travis was waiting for her answer, Erin shrugged. “If we allow anything on the property, it’ll be a wind farm—and to be honest, I’m not sure my siblings and I want to do that because—”

  The front door opened and slammed shut. What the... Erin thought, as Liz Cartwright Anderson literally stomped in. Travis’s wife and law partner was nine months pregnant. Her normally impeccably groomed clothes were wrinkled, her hair was wet and it looked as if she had been crying.

  “What happened?” Erin asked her long-time friend.

  Liz dumped her bags on a chair in her private office and stormed into the conference room. “What else! The power went off at the ranch while I was in the shower this morning. Our well pump is electric—so of course all the water shut off immediately! I still had shampoo in my hair, so I had to get out and put a robe on and rinse my hair with water from the jugs we’ve been keeping around for emergencies.” She blew out an exasperated breath. “I waited thirty minutes, thinking surely the power would come back on again. It didn’t. Then, of course, I couldn’t dry my hair or iron my blouse....”

  Travis swallowed nervously. “Sweetheart...I—”

  She lifted a staying hand. “Don’t you dare try to placate me, Travis. I’m sick and tired of the rolling blackouts.” Her lip trembled. “What are we going to do when the baby comes? We can’t have a newborn and no power. And what about Great-grandmother Tillie and my grandmother, Faye-Elizabeth? They can’t get overheated, either, and with the hottest summer on record predicted, coming soon...” She burst into a flood of tears so wrenching Erin wanted to cry, too.

  “Hey, now.” Travis circled the table and embraced his wife lovingly, damp hair and all. “I know it’s been tough, and it will be for a while longer, but it’s not going to go on forever. The county commissioners are going to figure out how to deal with the power shortage next week.”

  “Is that why you’re here?” Liz turned to Erin, blotting her eyes in relief. “Because you’ve decided to make a deal with North Wind Energy?”

  Guilt flooded through Erin. She knew if she said yes, and the wind farm was built, the blackouts in the far-flung areas of the county would stop. Unfortunately, her desire to help her community did not trump her familial obligations.

  Erin shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  Travis gently explained to his wife, “Erin’s here because she wants me to represent her and her family and turn down G.W.’s offer in a way he and the oil company will understand is final. So he won’t keep pestering her and putting her in a bad light with her kids by refusing to do business that would benefit him.”

  Liz smiled sympathetically and eased into a chair. “Travis is good at helping ladies in distress.” She settled into her seat with a wince. “And I don’t know what in the world is wrong with me today, anyway. I’m not usually anywhere near so emotional— Oh! What in the world...”

  They all looked down.

  Liquid was running off the seat of Liz’s leather chair, down her legs, pooling on the floor. “I think my water just broke!” She looked at Erin, a little dazed, and a lot confused. “Is that what happened?” she asked, needing—wanting—confirmation in the way that new moms-to-be relied on their friends who had already been through it.

  It certainly appeared to be, Erin thought, overcome by sentimentality. Having a baby was one of the biggest days of a woman’s life. At least it had been for her.

  Erin stood and helped ease Liz out of her chair. “Travis, I think our business is going to have to wait.” She made sure Liz was steady and Travis was right there to take over. “You have a wife to get to the hospital, and a new baby to bring into the world.” Abruptly, Erin choked up. Which was no surprise. Newborn babies always brought out bittersweet tears in her.

  Every bit as action-oriented as usual, Travis ushered his wife toward the door. “When’s the response due?”

  Erin walked into the break room to get a fistful of paper towels. “Monday.”

  He nodded. “I’ll get to it over the weekend, I promise.”

  * * *

  SEVERAL HOURS LATER, Mac settled more comfortably in the passenger seat of his rented SUV, his laptop beside him, cell phone set to Speaker, a satellite map of this part of Laramie County open in front of him. It was a beautiful May day. Not too hot yet. A nice breeze blew through the open windows, and wildflowers were still blooming. From on top of the bluffs, he could see not just Erin’s ranch, but those of adjoining properties, and the current power station, too. Although he could easily have gone back to the ranch house to check in with his superior, he had decided to come here to discuss business.

  “I reviewed your request regarding your personal situation last night,” Louise told him over the phone. “I can sell it to my bosses, but in return we are going to want something from you first.”

  Mac had expected as much. “The wind farm in Laramie County.”

  “That’s got to happen,” Louise stated briskly. “How close are you?”

  Close enough to start making plans to drastically improve my life. “I talked to two other ranchers this morning,” Mac said. “Jeremy Carrigan and his wife are ready to sign, although topographically their land is less than ideal, and they have only
a quarter of the land we’re going to need. Matt and Emmett Briscoe are leaning our way.”

  Mac figured once the two Briscoe men saw all the numbers and visited the wind farm on Saturday, they’d be convinced, too. After all, the family would still have plenty of room to run their cattle on their massive fifty-thousand-acre property. And the area they were talking about was rocky, with thin, sparse soil. The only difficulty was that it was at the far western edge of Laramie County, which meant either a second power plant would have to be built, or an awful lot of line run to the existing one, a fact that would up the cost to North Wind Energy and the county dramatically.

  “What about Erin Monroe? What is she saying on behalf of her family?”

  Mac knew the Triple Canyon Ranch was still the first choice of everyone involved, including the county commissioners ready to vote on the project. Had he been focused strictly on business, he would have made the deal with her by now.

  He hadn’t. Which was ironic. He had always criticized his parents for not doing what they needed to do to get ahead, even when things were within their grasp. They had chosen family time together over furthering their educations after hours. More time off over increased pay and responsibility. And his mom had continued the pattern even after his dad died, and they were barely making ends meet. Mac had taken the opposite route. Experienced great professional and financial success because of it. And now...

  Now he was on the fence, just as Erin was.

  Wondering what was right. What would really make him and everyone close to him happy.

  “Hello? Mac? Are you still there?” Louise shouted into the phone.

  “Yeah. Sorry. I was distracted by an email that just came through,” Mac fibbed.

  “About Ms. Monroe...” Louise asked, in a more normal tone.

  “I haven’t pushed her.”

  “Because...” Louise prodded.

  Because I care about what she thinks and feels and needs and wants. Mac cleared his throat. “It’s an emotional subject with her. As I’ve told you, Texans are very sentimental about their land.” And she lost her only daughter there. Lived there as a kid. Raised her siblings there, after her parents’ deaths. That stuff shouldn’t matter to him, but it did, just as she did.