Taming A Texas Bad Boy (Bad Boy Ranch Book 1)

by Katie Lane

  She couldn’t help defending Cru. “He has good reason to be lost, Sadie. He grew up in a children’s home after his mother left him in a bus station when he was only four years old. Four years old.” Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered how adamant Cru had been when he said he cared nothing about his mother. But his anger proved he cared too much about her.

  Sadie shook her head before she pulled Penny into her arms. “You’re just like your mama. She had a heart the size of Texas and wanted to save every lost soul she met. That’s why she chose your father. If you think he’s hard now, it’s nothing to what he was before your mother got ahold of him. But underneath his gruff exterior is a good man.” She drew back, her eyes still sad. “I’m not so sure about Cru. His past might be too much for him to overcome. And I’d hate for you to find that out after you’ve already invested your heart. Although with the way you look at him, I’m not so sure that hasn’t already happened.”

  “It hasn’t.” She didn’t know if she was trying to convince Sadie or herself. “I’m not a wide-eyed thirteen-year-old anymore. I know Cru isn’t the type of man who wants to settle down. But that doesn’t mean he’s not a good man. Look how much he cares for Chester and Lucas. And how much he’s helped on the ranch. While I’m not going to offer him my heart, I am going to offer him my friendship. He deserves at least that after I falsely believed he was Clint’s father. And the entire misunderstanding is all Evie’s fault. It’s time she stopped hiding the truth and owned up to it. If not to Daddy, at least to Clint.” She thought Sadie would agree and was surprised when she didn’t.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Sometimes it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.”

  “How can you say that? Clint deserves to know who his father is.”

  Sadie got up from the bed and walked to the window. “Even if his father doesn’t want to know him?”

  “His father knows about Clint? But Evie acted like she didn’t tell him.”

  Sadie turned around. “She didn’t. I did. When Clint was around one, I contacted his father. At first, he was angry Evie hadn’t told him. But later, he called me and thanked me for letting him know. He said his son would be better off not having someone like him as a father. But he promised to send money for Evie when he could. He kept his promise. I started receiving money like clockwork. At first, it was just a couple twenties in an envelope every other week, but gradually the cash turned into checks in amounts much larger.”

  Penny stared at her. “Why didn’t Evie tell me she was getting money? Is that how she paid for college and the house in Abilene?”

  “From what she says, she hasn’t touched any of the money. I think she was angry he didn’t care enough about Clint to come back, and maybe she was also angry that he didn’t care enough about her. The money is in a savings account she plans to give Clint for his college. Although the amount that’s accumulated will cover a lot more than college.”

  It was shocking news and Penny couldn’t help feeling hurt Evie hadn’t confided in her. Sadie must’ve read her expression because she walked back over to the bed, sat down, and took her hand. “I wouldn’t be too mad at Evie. She kept the secret not only so you wouldn’t have to lie to your father, but also because she knew that if your father found out I’d kept Clint’s daddy’s identity from him, he’d fire me.”

  “But I don’t understand. Clint’s father sends money, but he doesn’t want to meet his own son.”

  “It’s like I was saying. Some men’s scars are just too deep to heal. And as much as we want to heal them, we can’t.” She pulled Penny in for another hug. “Be friends with Cru, but please protect your heart, honey.” She got to her feet. “Now I need to go start lunch for a crew of hungry cowboys.”

  Penny threw back the covers and got up. “Just let me take a quick shower and I’ll help you.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but a nice long shower is exactly what you need to get over that hangover.”

  Sadie was right. The shower did make her feel better. The hot water soothed her achy muscles and the steam cleared her head. But it was the truth about Cru that made her tummy feel all buoyant with happiness. She was thrilled Cru wasn’t Clint’s father, but confused he hadn’t told her the truth last night. Of course, maybe he had and she’d been too drunk to remember. Or still too infatuated with Cru to believe any woman would choose another man over him.

  She thought back to the summer and tried to remember it without the haze of a schoolgirl’s crush. Despite the one kiss, Cru and Evie hadn’t acted like a couple of lovesick teenagers. There had been no hand holding or flirtatious teasing. In fact, now that she thought about it, she had spent more time with Cru than Evie had. But who had Evie spent time with? She couldn’t remember seeing her sister with any of the boys. Evie had spent most of her time reading in the old abandoned shack on the Double Diamond Ranch. At least, that’s what she’d told Penny she was doing. Now she had to wonder if Evie had been alone at the shack. It was something she planned to find out. There were going to be no more secrets between the Gardener sisters.

  Unfortunately, when she got out of the shower and called her sister, Evie didn’t answer. She left a quick message before she got dressed.

  In the kitchen, she found Sadie wrapping burritos in aluminum foil as she sang along with the radio. Sadie had a beautiful singing voice and sang solos at church almost every Sunday. Penny’s voice wasn’t nearly as good, but she joined in with a George Strait song as she helped Sadie finish. As Sadie cut a pan of cherry crumble bars into squares, Penny snagged one for breakfast and munched on it while they put the others in plastic baggies. Each bag had two bars, except for one Sadie put three in.

  “Is that for Daddy?” Penny asked. “I thought the doctor told him to cut back on his sweets.”

  “That’s why I didn’t pack any for him. This one is for Cru.” When Penny lifted her eyebrows, Sadie shrugged. “Did you or did you not say the boy needs some extra love? I don’t want you giving it to him and getting hurt, but this old mother hen can. Now let’s get these packed up in the cooler with the apples and drinks so I can get going. I need to finish the laundry before I take Chester to his appointment.”

  “I can take Chester,” Penny said. “I’m fine. And I can take lunch too. I need to check on that fence Dylan is mending anyway.”

  Sadie shook her head in exasperation. “I should’ve known you couldn’t take the whole day off.”

  First, Penny stopped by the barn to give Raul his lunch. She found her father and Billy with him in the paddock checking out the new horse her father had purchased. The mare was an unbroken Appaloosa that seemed even more Ill-tempered than Severus. The horse was rearing and posing and putting on quite a show.

  “I thought you were sick,” her father said when he saw her.

  “Must’ve been something I ate.”

  “Or drank,” Billy said with a smirk, and she remembered he had been one of the men who tried to cut in on her and Emma last night while they were dancing.

  She sent him a warning look to keep his big mouth shut, then she told them to come out to the truck to get their lunch. Once she’d passed out their food and drinks, she asked her father where Chester, Lucas, and Cru were.

  “I sent them to help Dylan with the fence.”

  That wasn’t good. She didn’t know why, but for some reason Dylan and Cru had taken a dislike to each other. And as soon as she got out to the north pasture, she realized the dislike had turned ugly.

  The men were on the ground fighting while Chester and Lucas cheered them on.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Cru couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in a fight. He’d always been more of a lover than a fighter. But when Dylan told him to stay away from Penny, something snapped inside him, and he hauled off and threw a punch. Dylan didn’t go down easy. He came back with a right hook that rang Cru’s bell. From there, things escalated until they both ended up on the ground. Cru had finally gotten the upper hand and strad
dled Dylan when a loud shot rang out.

  He glanced up and saw Penny standing there looking like Annie Oakley with a rifle resting on her hip and pointing at the sky. “That’s enough,” she said in a stern voice that made him smile. Anyone who knew her knew she didn’t have a stern bone in her body. But since his jaw ached, his eye throbbed, and he could taste blood, he figured she might have a point. He lowered the fist he was about to throw and got to his feet, then held out a hand to help Dylan up. Dylan ignored the hand and got up by himself.

  Cru turned to Penny. “Good mornin’. It looks like you survived last night.”

  Her cheeks blossomed with color, and she cleared her throat. “What in the world is going on here?”

  “A damn good fight that would’ve been even better if you hadn’t broken it up.” Lucas handed Cru his hat before he looked at Chester. “You owe me ten dollars.”

  “Like hell I do, you old coot,” Chester replied. “You owe me ten.”

  “You really do need those cataracts removed, you old fart. Cru was the one on top.”

  “But Dylan connected twice as many—”

  Penny cut in. “You bet on the fight? You should’ve stopped it.”

  “Why would we stop a good fight?” Lucas asked. “All cowboys fight every now and again. It gets out pent up aggression.” He looked at Chester. “We’ve had our fair share of fights, haven’t we, Chess? Especially over women. Remember that little gal from Galveston? What was her name?”

  “Debbie Dozer.”

  “Oh yeah, Little Debbie. She was sure sweeter than a store-bought snack cake. And you sure were ticked she liked me better.”

  Chester’s eyes narrowed behind his thick glasses. “Hell, she didn’t like you better. She liked me better.”

  “Bull hockey!” Lucas took a hobbled step closer to his brother with a fist raised.

  “Whoa there.” Cru stepped between them. “I think one fist fight a day is plenty.” He dusted off his hat on his pant leg. Although seeing how he was covered in red dirt, it didn’t help.

  Penny lowered the rifle and glanced at Dylan. “What happened?”

  There was a cowboy code that Chester and Lucas had taught Cru a long time ago: Cowboys didn’t tattle. It seemed Dylan had learned the code as well.

  “We just had a little disagreement is all.” He picked up his hat. “We got the fence taken care of here, so I’ll head over to the northeast corner.”

  Penny opened her mouth as if she wanted to further her interrogation, but then changed her mind. “There are burritos in the thermal bag and drinks in the cooler in the bed of the truck. Help yourself before you head out.” She looked at Chester. “And don’t forget you have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon.”

  “I’m not lettin’ some yahoo cut on my eyes,” Chester snapped.

  “No one is going to cut on your eyes today. You’re just going in to talk to the doctor.”

  “Fine, but all I’m doin’ is talkin’.”

  “You better do more than talk, you old fart,” Lucas said. “You’re still blind as a bat. Especially if you think Dylan won that fight. And what do you think you’re doin’ bettin’ against one of our boys?”

  “If we’d both bet on Cru, where’s the fun in that? Besides, I like Dylan. He’s a good kid. And you should talk about disabilities, Hopalong.”

  Grumbling insults back and forth, they headed to Penny’s truck. When they were gone, she looked at Cru. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  “Like Dylan said, it was just a little disagreement.”

  She studied him for a moment before she sighed. “Fine. I’ll let it go this time. But I’d appreciate it if next time you and Dylan disagree you use words.” She pulled a bandanna out of her back pocket and stepped closer. “You’re bleeding.” She placed a hand on the back of his neck and pressed the bandanna against his bottom lip. He couldn’t stop the surge of heat that filled him.

  He stepped away. “It’s not a big deal. I better grab a burrito so Dylan and I can get the other fence fixed.”

  “I think it’s best if you two stay away from each other. I’ll get someone else to help Dylan. You can grab something to eat and then head back to the ranch to clean up.” She pulled out her cellphone and moved away to talk.

  Since he wasn’t very hungry, Cru double checked the fence and gathered up his tools. He felt like an idiot. Why had he gotten angry at Dylan for asking him to stay away from Penny when that was exactly his plan? Obviously, if he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want anyone else to, either. But someday someone would have her. Hopefully, someone who would treat her right and give her the love she deserved. Cru couldn’t help but be envious of the lucky sonofabitch.

  Once he had his tools loaded up, he walked to Penny’s truck. Chester and Lucas were sitting on the tailgate eating their burritos. Penny was leaning next to them sipping a Dr. Pepper. When he walked up, she handed him a foil-wrapped burrito.

  “Thanks. I’ll eat it on the way to the ranch.” He looked at Chester and Lucas. “You two coming?”

  “We can’t go back until we finish those fences,” Chester said. “A job’s not done until it’s done.”

  “Suit yourself.” He flipped up the lid of the cooler and grabbed a Dr. Pepper before he headed to his truck.

  It was a blistering hot day. On the way to the ranch, he passed the copse of trees that surrounded Mesquite Springs. A cool swim sounded much better than a hot shower, so he pulled off the road and parked. Leaving his clothes on a rock, he waded into the springs. The water was warmer than it had been a month ago. An image of Penny in wet underwear popped into his head, but he pushed it right back out and dove under.

  As a teenager, he’d stayed in the springs for hours swimming and horsing around with his friends. He and the other boys had loved to swing from the rope swing and dunk each other under. Logan was the only one who didn’t like horseplay, something everyone had figured out when Lincoln had grabbed Logan’s feet and pulled him under. Logan had gone ballistic. He hadn’t liked being touched. Not a slap on the back or a playful dunk.

  A loud splash pulled him from his thoughts. He stopped swimming and treaded watering looking for the source of the sound. He noticed the rope swaying back and forth only seconds before Penny popped up in front of him, her fiery hair slicked back and her long lashes spiked with water. He was trying his best to stay away from her, but she wasn’t making it easy.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “What does it look like I’m doing? I came for a swim.”

  His gaze lowered to her wet bra straps. Just below the surface of the water, he could see the shape of her bra-covered breasts. He quickly lifted his gaze. “I thought you were going to help Dylan.”

  “I called Billy to help him. He picked up Chester and Lucas on his way from the ranch.”

  “So you just decided to come swimming?”

  “No. I was headed back to the ranch to talk with you when I saw your truck.”

  “Look, we don’t need to talk any more about the fight. I give you my word it won’t happen again.”

  She treaded water, her hands circling. “I don’t want to talk about the fight. I wanted to apologize about last night.”

  “You had a few too many margaritas. It happens to all of us. It was no big deal, Penny.” That was a lie. He’d stayed up half the night thinking about her sweet lips devouring his. And he couldn’t help looking at the droplet of water that clung to her bottom lip and wishing for a repeat. Especially when she seductively sucked it off.

  “I didn’t come here to apologize for last night. I came here to apologize for thinking you got Evie pregnant.”

  “Who told you the truth? Evie?”

  “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I shouldn’t have accused you without having real proof.”

  “I understand why you thought it was me. It made sense. I was the only boy who showed any interest in Evie. Well, obviously, I wasn’t the only boy. Do you know who it is?”
When she shook her head, he snorted. “I don’t get your sister. She should’ve told you the truth. Does the father even know?”

  “Yes. I guess he’s been sending money for Clint all along.”

  “He knows, but he hasn’t come back to see his son? What a piece of shit.”

  She smiled as if he’d just said something wonderful, and in her eyes, he saw the same adoration he’d seen when she was thirteen. She moved closer, her foot brushing against his leg like a hot brand. He suddenly realized that without her sister in the way, there was nothing stopping him and Penny from getting together.

  Nothing but his damn conscience.

  He moved away from her. “You shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t be swimming in your underwear with some guy who isn’t boyfriend material. And I don’t do relationships, Penny. I like being unattached with no responsibilities and I plan to stay that way. I’m only staying here until I can convince Lucas and Chester to quit being so stubborn and take the money Logan collected to rebuild their house. Then I’m headed to California. I know you think you want me, but you really don’t. You want someone better. Someone who can commit.”

  She studied him for a long moment before she turned and swam to shore. It was for the best. He knew that. Too bad his body didn’t agree. Desire slammed into him as he watched her climb out of the springs, her soaked panties clinging to the round curves of her butt like a second skin. He dove under and didn’t resurface until he knew she’d be gone. Even then, he waited for a long time before he got out.

  He should leave. Not just Mesquite Springs, but Texas. If anyone could talk Chester and Lucas into letting the town rebuild their house, it was Penny, not him. Cru should go back to the ranch, pack his things, and get the hell out of Dodge. It would be simpler for everyone.

  He climbed up the bank and pushed through some scrub junipers growing by the springs. He had just reached for his shirt to dry off when a voice caused him to freeze.

  “Knock-knock.”

  Like a shy, pubescent kid, he quickly covered himself with his shirt and turned around to see Penny sitting on a rock in just her underwear. “I thought you’d left,” he said.