by Sara Orwig
“Frankly, I’ve been glad of that many times and some of them are because of your little sister. Let’s get the snow off your drive, and we can shoot baskets.”
Jared smiled now at the memory. He would never have believed then that someday he would be interested in Allison. He would have taken any kind of bet on that one. He had paid little attention to her and thought of her always as Sloan’s bratty little sister, which was what Sloan often called her.
After he and Sloan went to college, Jared rarely saw her and never after Sloan’s wedding until that magical night when she had been eighteen.
He could hear the chimes, and soon Herman Tyler swung open the door. He looked older than he had the last time Jared had seen him. His pale blue eyes were like Sloan’s, and they bore a definite family resemblance.
“Come in, Jared,” Herman said, shaking hands and welcoming him. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You’re looking good, Mr. Tyler,” Jared said. “I’m glad you’re feeling well.”
“Yep, knock on wood. For now I am. What brings you by? Want to see the preliminaries on the catalog?”
“No, sir.”
“Want a cold beer?”
“Thanks, that would be nice. I’ve talked to Sloan lately and saw his latest pictures of his family.”
Herman laughed. “My son always has ‘latest pictures’ of his family. They must have a million pictures already. Little Megan knows how to pose and Jake, the baby, has already learned to smile when he’s told to.”
“Cute kids, and Sloan seems crazy about them.” Jared followed Herman into the kitchen and in minutes accepted a beer.
“Let’s go to the study,” Herman said. “I have things I’ve brought from the office in there. You have some fine furniture in that Houston mansion. I’m sure you know that already.”
“I do, but I don’t know how fine or which is more valuable. I know what I like, and I’ve told Allison.”
“Have a seat, please.”
They sat facing each other, and Jared sipped the cold beer. “The reason I wanted to see you, sir, is to talk to you before Allison gets back home and is with you all the time.”
“Now I’m curious.”
“She told me there are a couple of items in the mansion that she would like to buy. She will not tell me which ones, because I’m sure she suspects I will give them to her.”
“So you want to know which pieces?”
“Yes, because I want to give them to her. She’s done a great job, and she’s a friend—your whole family is like a family to me. I know if I leave it up to her, she won’t let me give them to her. I suspect you know what she wants, so please take them out of the sale and mark them for her. And I’d really prefer to surprise her, so she doesn’t fuss with me about it.”
“Jared, I know what she wants, and they’re very fine items, worth a lot. Are you sure you want to do this? You’re paying us quite well.”
“I’m sure. This has nothing to do with paying you for the job. I’m doing what I want to do.”
Jared gazed back while Herman Tyler stared at him with curiosity in his expression. Finally Herman nodded. “Very well. I’ll tell you what she wants. I have the pictures I’ve pulled anyway, so we can watch for these two items through the sale. I’ll get the pictures.”
Jared waited, even though he didn’t particularly care which things she wanted. He had already selected what he liked. But he had a feeling it was important to Herman.
Herman returned with two pieces of paper in his hand, which he handed to Jared. One item he recognized immediately as a library table he had given some thought to and decided to let go. The other was a gilt wood mirror with gryphons at the top.
“This is an expensive mirror, Jared,” Herman said. “That’s a sizable item to give as a gift, and I suspect she will return it to you.”
He smiled at Herman. “I’ll convince her to keep it. I’ll get a truck to pick them up as soon as she leaves Houston and then have them delivered to her condo.”
“I’ll be amazed if you get her to keep them.”
“Mr. Tyler, is there anything you would like? I’d be very honored, sir, to give it to you.”
“No, there isn’t, Jared, but thank you. That’s a touching offer.” He looked around and waved his hand at all the antiques in the study. “I’ve already had one heart attack that was serious enough to make me stop and look at what I have. I’ve been trying to thin things out, because this house is filled with the accumulation of a lifetime. Thank you, though, for your generous offer.”
“If you change your mind, please let me know. I’d make the same offer to Sloan, but I’ve seen pictures of his contemporary house, and he and his wife are definitely not into this type of furniture.”
Herman chuckled. “No, they’re not. My daughter-in-law just looks at my home and shakes her head. I think she would be happy to help me get rid of half my possessions, and she doesn’t understand Allison liking old furniture at all.”
“Well, it keeps the world an interesting place. Does Allison have these two pieces tagged in any way?”
“I’m sure she did tag them. She put her name on them instead of mine, and they each have an identifying number. The library table is 142 and the mirror is 207.”
“That’s all I need,” Jared said, sitting down again to talk to Herman for the next half hour. Finally, he stood. “Thanks so much, Herman, for the help. I really want to do this for Allison.”
“It’s extremely generous. Almost too generous.”
“No, sir. She earned it. I’m real happy to be able to do this. Now, it’s our secret for the time being.”
“Sure. Want another beer?”
“Thanks, but no. I should go.”
Herman followed him outside and stood on the front step. As Jared started down the driveway, he turned back to wave. When he got in the car, he glanced at his phone in a pocket between the car seats. He couldn’t help the disappointment when he saw there had been no call from Allison.
Jared thought about their night together in Wyoming. He wanted Allison with him all the time. Could he get her to move in with him? Until their night in Wyoming, he hadn’t thought he had a chance of that, but now he wondered. She seemed as eager to make love as he was. He wanted her with him, in his arms, in his bed every night. He missed her all through the day now, and the nights were empty and lonesome, something he had never felt before in his life. How had she become this important to him? Why was she so different from other women he had known?
She would be home tomorrow night. Jared’s pulse sped up at the thought, and he wished she could be here tonight. He couldn’t wait to see her. When had he become so ensnared by her that he couldn’t wait for her to appear?
* * *
Allison ran to pick out what she would wear home, finally selecting jeans and a pink shirt. Anticipation hummed while she grew more eager to see Jared with each passing hour.
When the plane left Houston, she never looked back. Finally it taxied to a stop in a Dallas hangar. A black sports car was parked inside, and Jared came forward while her heartbeat raced.
She stepped out of the plane and walked to meet him as he came toward her. She forgot their surroundings or that anyone else was in the hangar. She let him sweep her into his embrace, leaning close to kiss him, a devouring kiss that made her want to be alone with him more than anything else.
“Come on,” he said, his voice sounding hoarse. “Let’s get out of here. Someone is getting your things.”
The drive seemed like it took forever, and she kept her hand on his knee while she told him about finishing, and the most interesting pieces of furniture or items she had found the past few days.
Truthfully, she wasn’t even certain what she said to him. Her joy over seeing him shocked her because she hadn’t ex
pected this bubbling excitement to grip her. An undercurrent of worry dimmed with each second. Jared was here, bigger than the threats to her peace of mind right now. She wanted him, and desire, hot and constant, overrode caution. That could come later.
At her condo, the moment they stepped inside and closed the door with the lock clicking into place, Jared pulled her into his arms to kiss her.
They made love through the night. As the sky grew lighter with dawn, Jared tightened his arm around her. She lay with her head on his chest, her hair spread over his shoulder. “Move in with me,” Jared said in a husky voice. “I want you with me like this.”
Her heart lurched. Her first reaction was to say yes, to share what they had and hold on to it. She wanted to be with him. These past few days she had missed him far more than she had dreamed she would. It seemed her love for him grew with each day. Move in with him and he might not want her to ever move out.
“Did you hear me?” he asked, shifting to his side to prop his head on his hand and look down at her.
“I heard you, and I’m thinking. Jared, you’re alone. You’ve lost your dad now. You have close friends, but you’re alone. I’m not. I have my dad and my brother.”
“Darlin’, I can take care of your dad if we need to. Right now you said he’s doing well, and he sounds well and as full of life as ever.”
“He may sound that way, but he’s changed. He’s more frail than he used to be. And I can’t ignore Sloan.”
“No, but you don’t have to let him live your life for you. He’s not your parent. He’s a brother, and a worrying one at that.”
“I know. I just have to think about it because that’s a big step. It’s a commitment. Actually, a huge commitment for me.”
“Yes, it is,” he said solemnly. “It’s a commitment for me, too. You take my breath away. You were all I could think about. You’ve interfered in my work because you weren’t here, and I was so busy thinking about you that I couldn’t concentrate.”
She laughed softly. “I don’t think so, Jared. Besides, you just got another woman out of your life.”
“I’m not making that up about you interfering in my work,” he said solemnly, toying with her hair with his free hand. “As for Dawn and any other woman in my life, I have not asked anyone to move in with me. Not ever.”
Shocked, she sat up to look at him. “Are you telling me the truth? Why would Sloan tell me you have so many women in your life?”
“I don’t think it’s as many as your brother tried to indicate, but I didn’t ask any of them to move in with me. I may have lived at their place—which may be splitting hairs to you, but it isn’t splitting hairs to me. This is far bigger,” he said, giving her a direct look that sent a streak of fire to her toes.
“Then I’m surprised,” she said, her mind reeling over his request.
“Frankly, I’m a little surprised myself. You do something to me,” he whispered, reaching up to kiss her.
She placed her hands on his broad shoulders while she kissed him in return. Finally, he paused, his gaze drifting over her features. “I may be falling in love,” he said gruffly, and her heart thudded.
“But you don’t know?”
“What I feel for you has never happened before.” Her heart pounded, and she kissed him passionately.
Later, he wound long locks of hair around his fingers, pulling gently. “Can I take you to dinner tonight?”
“Sorry. Dad has already asked me to come over. He’s cooking. I’m sure you can join us if you’d like.”
“Since it’s your first time to be with him in a while, I’ll wait. Next time I’ll take you up on it. Of course, it will bring Sloan on the run.”
“He probably wouldn’t even know.”
“Are you going to work tomorrow—actually, today?”
“I’ll tell Dad I’m exhausted and I’ll be in in the afternoon. So you’ll have to shuffle off then.”
“I’ll disappear then, but right now I’m here, and I’m going to make the most of the moment.” Drawing her closer, he leaned down to kiss her.
* * *
All afternoon while she worked, she thought about Jared. An inner debate raged furiously, and she could argue for either side whether to move in with him or not. Give in to passion and what she wanted, move in with him—that way, he might not ever want her to move out. Would he fall in love if they were together longer? Or fall in love if they were deep in an affair?
On the other hand, he wouldn’t change his pursuit of wild adventures. His life would be at risk continually. She couldn’t cope with that. She was torn between the choices. She’d give him an answer Friday night. If she could accept watching him in the rodeo, then she’d try moving in with him and see what happened.
* * *
Friday afternoon she left work early and went home to dress for the rodeo, her eagerness to be with Jared churning in her. She had lectured herself to not worry about him tonight because he was doing what he loved, and he could take care of himself.
She changed twice, finally settling on light wash jeans that had blinged hip pockets and a snakeskin belt with a silver buckle. She wore a black Western shirt and let her hair fall freely around her face. As she brushed her hair, the doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock. “You’re early, Jared,” she said to no one, hurrying to the front door and thankful she had given herself plenty of time to get ready.
Expecting to see Jared, she swung open the door and stopped abruptly. A stranger in a uniform stood at her door. At the curb a truck was parked. Another man in uniform stepped out of the truck and went to the back to open double doors.
“Delivery for Ms. A. Tyler.”
“That’s me, but I didn’t order anything. What kind of delivery?” she asked, wondering what the two men could have in the truck. Puzzled, she looked at the clipboard in the man’s hands.
“We have two boxes, one table and one mirror, picked up yesterday in Houston.”
Shocked, she nodded and signed where he showed her. “Who sent this?”
“J. Weston.”
“Bring it in,” she said, dazed, her curiosity growing. Jared was giving her the two things she’d intended to buy from the Delaney mansion. How had he known what she wanted? The only person who’d known was her father.
Surprised over the gift, she motioned to the men where to set the boxes inside her front door.
Accepting a copy of the receipt, she closed up behind the deliverymen as soon as they left. She couldn’t wait for Jared to get there and ask him about the boxes.
Twenty minutes later when she opened the door to let him in, she lost her train of thought. He looked so good, he could have been in an ad. His black wide-brimmed Western hat sat squarely on his head. He wore a black Western shirt, jeans and black boots. Stepping inside, he pulled her into his arms. “I’ve waited all day for this moment,” he said, kissing her long and hard.
Longing filled her, a deep hunger for him as if she hadn’t seen him for weeks. His kiss held dreams and fiery reality, a start to seduction.
“Jared,” she gasped finally. “You’re going to be in a rodeo tonight. We should go.”
He was breathing as hard as she was, and his eyes were half-lidded, making her weak-kneed and wanting to forget the rodeo completely. “All right,” he said with a rasp. “We’ll go.”
“Before we do—thank you. The things arrived from Houston today. You shouldn’t have done that. Let me pay for them.”
“No, I want you to have them. I didn’t even see those boxes when I came in. I was too busy looking at you.”
“You found out what I wanted from Dad, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Have you opened them?”
“No. You’ll probably have to help, because they look as if they are really packed well.”
“I’ll
do that, but not right now.”
“I didn’t mean now.” She stepped up to wrap her arms around his neck. “I shouldn’t accept those from you without paying you for them.”
“You have to. I won’t take payment.”
“Thank you,” she said, standing on tiptoe to kiss him, another long kiss that became passionate and made her forget the evening ahead. His arms circled her waist, and he held her tightly.
She finally stopped. “We have to go.”
He inhaled deeply, looking as if he might be debating whether to make love or go.
“Jared, you can’t be a no-show,” she said.
He nodded. “We’ll take up later where we left off,” he said. He took her arm to walk out to his car, closing the door when she was seated and walking around to climb behind the wheel.
“Are you excited over your ride tonight?”
He glanced at her as he drove. “Over my ride? No. I can barely think about it. I’m excited, but not over that. My excitement is over hot kisses and your soft body. Your big blue eyes and your mouth on mine. Over expectations of holding you later and making love to you for hours tonight. Over dreams of having you with me tomorrow night and the next night.”
“I get the picture,” she said, smiling at him. “I’m trying to avoid thinking about when you have to ride one of those monstrous bulls.”
“I’ll have the time of my life for maybe eight long seconds, I hope, although there are some other things that are definitely more thrilling.”
“I can’t believe you’d want to come out riding an animal determined to get rid of you that wants to stomp you into the ground or worse.”
Laughing, he reached over and squeezed her hand. “I do other things that are more fun. This comes under one of those exciting challenges, just to see if I can do it.”
She shuddered. “I think that’s a guy thing.”
He laughed again and held her hand as they drove.
At the arena, they walked into the big hall, past vendors while Jared greeted people he knew. And then he paused. “Well, look who showed up,” he said, and Allison recognized a familiar face as Ryan Delaney walked up to them. In a brown wide-brimmed Resistol, he was another handsome cowboy in the arena. Brown hair showed beneath the hat and his dark brown eyes were lively above his wide grin.
