Champagne and Cowboys

by Donna Michaels

  For nearly three weeks, he tried to make it work. Tried to reach some sort of common ground with Missy. He shifted the bottle of wine in his hands and glanced sideways at the brooding sixteen year old, whose round shoulders and sullen expression gave the impression she was a prisoner heading to a penitentiary, instead of standing on the front porch awaiting the hospitality of a nice family.

  He almost hadn’t come. Almost didn’t accept the invitation from one of the guardsmen he’d met at drill earlier that month. In fact, he’d originally turned Nico down, but he’d run into the guy at the resort two days ago, and this time, when the good-natured Italian had tossed out the offer again, Lucas accepted with his sister in mind. The holidays were going to be rough on her without her dad.

  Just because his feelings toward Stan Williams simmered in the rat-bastard realm didn’t mean he’d ever share that with Missy. She’d obviously had a different relationship with the man who’d paid his mother to take him and move to Texas right after his first birthday.

  He’d never heard from the guy again. Never knew he’d had a sister. Dammit. He would’ve loved to have had…

  Didn’t matter now. He unclenched his jaw and forced his body to relax. What was done, was done.

  And what was going to happen, was going to happen.

  Like heading back to Texas.

  As soon as the New Year rang in, if things didn’t change radically, he was packing up his sister, and moving her to Harland County, Texas. He’d tried keeping her at home, keeping her life as normal as possible, but she wasn’t responding.

  Hell, she’d never even cried.

  And he knew she was hurting. Her silence and the tension tightening her shoulders spoke volumes. All he got were one-word answers in a clipped tone. But despite her unfriendly attitude, she offered no resistance in any way. It was as if she was afraid he was going to revoke guardianship and make her a ward of the state.

  God, he’d never do that. He’d never put her through what he’d endured at seventeen, when his mother had died of a massive heart attack.

  Time and again, he’d insisted she was stuck with him, he’d never desert her, and yet, still she remained quiet and aloof.

  He was hoping that by being around people, families, she’d finally let her emotions out. Even if it was rage, at least that would be something.

  The door swung open on his second knock, and his friend greeted them with a smile.

  He nodded. “Nico, I’d like you to meet my sister, Missy.”

  “We already know each other from the pizza shop,” the guardsman said, smile widening. “Hi, Missy. Glad you could make it.” His friend stepped back to let them in.

  Lucas motioned for Missy to go first and had to hold back his shock as color actually flooded her cheeks.

  “Thank you,” she said a little breathless.

  Her lips actually turned up and warmth entered her gaze. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. She was even more beautiful. He was going to have to buy more than one bat to keep the horny teenage boys away.

  “Everyone’s in the dining room.” Nico led them through an immaculate, pale green living room with built-ins filled with knick-knacks, photos of Italy on the walls, and spotless, cream colored furniture.

  Eclectic, but neat and clean, it bespoke of a family full of life.

  Envy sliced through his gut. He pushed it aside and followed his host and sister toward the laughter coming from the back of the house. Life with his mother had been simple but happy. No reason to have wanted anything more.

  They walked into a delicious smelling room bustling with activity as people stood and the table was cleared.

  “This is Lucas, and you already know his sister, Missy,” Nico introduced, drawing them toward the smiling crowd. “This is my mother and father.”

  Lucas stepped forward and handed the bottle of wine he brought to his hostess. “Thank you for having us, Mr. and Mrs. Martelli. I have it on good authority this goes well with chocolate.” He smiled at the approaching chocolatier. “On Jill’s authority. Hello, darlin’.” He kissed her cheek, then shook Mason’s hand, pleased to note some of the stiffness leave his sister’s shoulders at the sight of the familiar couple.

  The two had been instrumental in helping him transition into his new life, and very kind to his sister.

  “And this is Nona.” Nicco presented them with a pint-sized version of his mother, a little older, but just as bright.

  “Very nice to meet you, ma’am.” He grasped her hand and kissed her knuckles.

  “Such a nice boy.” She tugged free to pat his face. “But please, none of this ma’am business. Call me Nona.”

  He nodded. “Nona.”

  “Or darlin’.” The older woman winked.

  He chuckled. “Absolutely, darlin’.”

  She giggled and clapped her hands. “Yes, from now on, you can call me darlin’. Not Nona”

  “Doesn’t Nona mean grandma?” Missy asked, confusion clouding her gaze.

  “Yes, it does, angel. Everyone calls me that.” The older woman grasped Missy’s hand and smiled. “I hope you will, too. I don’t mind.”

  He watched his sister nod, but her gaze was full of caution.

  “And this is Evie, my sister,” Nico said.

  The man drew another small woman close, but…damn, this one had a big impact. Her beauty knocked Lucas off kilter.

  The guys at the armory had warned him Nico’s sister was smokin’ hot, but off limits. Which was fine with him. He’d been around plenty of gorgeous women and had no issues resisting their charms. Hell, just this weekend alone, he’d been propositioned three times by out of town guests looking for a no-strings romp, and he’d turned them all down.

  Had it happened a few months ago, he would’ve taken them up on it…at the same time. But, that was the old Harper. Not the new Lucas. No. He was here for his sister. No one else.

  But…son-of-a-bitch…Evie was stunning.

  Her dark blonde hair glistened gold under the lights, and warm brown eyes resembled one of his favorite desserts—melted caramel. And her lips…damn, they were full and kissable, and curved into a beautiful smile that took his breath.

  “Hello, Missy. It’s nice to see you again.” The woman shook his sister’s hand, then fully faced him. “Nice to meet you, Lucas.”

  Operating on automatic, he grasped her hand and brushed his lips across her fingers, noting color flooded her cheeks at the same time a shaft of heat rushed through his veins.

  What the hell?

  Over the years, he’d kissed countless women’s hands, of all ages, and he’d never felt what he could only describe as a spark that had just passed between him and the blinking beauty as she muttered something about five o’clock and shadows. He was losing it. The woman was definitely playing with his mind. Maybe it was because she’d called him Lucas. Yeah. That had to be it. He was used to people addressing him as Harper back in Texas.

  But this was a new town. New chapter in his life. Seemed only fitting to go by his first name. It was just…different hearing it fall from an attractive woman’s lips.

  You don’t have that reaction when Jill or Missy say it, his mind countered.

  True.

  But he was unwilling to dissect his reaction to Evie. The last thing he needed was a woman in his life. He had to concentrate on his sister. She was hurting, and needed him. No time for distractions, no matter how gorgeous or curvy.

  “Nice to meet you, too, Evie,” he said, finally releasing her hand.

  “Why doesn’t everyone sit down while Evie and Jill get the desserts?” Mrs. Martelli suggested.

  He hid a smile when his sister took the chair next to Nico, which forced him to sit on her other side. The way she blushed and stared at the guy was actually sweet, mainly because he knew Nico would never do anything about his sister’s crush. Not only because he was twice her age, but because of the unspoken rule about guys and their sisters.

  Even though his friend ha
dn’t warned him off Evie yet. It was only a matter of time. And not warranted, because he wasn’t…

  Ah, hell.

  He should’ve sat on the other side of the table so he couldn’t see the woman moving around in the kitchen.

  Now he was noticing things he shouldn’t. Like her figure.

  Damn.

  Sweaters and jeans were made for women like her. Curvy. Sure she was stacked, but the size of her chest was balanced out by the sweet swell of her hips. Perfect.

  His body tightened in appreciation.

  While Jill and Mrs. Martelli passed out coffee, espresso, and cappuccino, Evie passed out dessert. She set a dish in front of him, and when he turned to thank her, heaven help him, he got a facefull of her delectables. He sucked in a breath.

  Son-of-a-bitch, the woman even smells good.

  Delicious, actually. Now, he was hungry and hard.

  When she took the only vacant seat—next to him—he silently cursed his string of luck. Great. He was going to have to act like he was unaffected by the brush of her soft curves and smell of her sweet perfume.

  “So, Missy, what grade are you in?” their hostess asked.

  His sister stiffened at his side. “Tenth.”

  “Are you in any sports?”

  “No.”

  “Cheerleading?”

  Again, his sister shook her head, appearing more and more dejected. That about killed him. He wished he knew more about her so he could offer something, but she pretty much stayed cooped up in her room at home, even eating up there. No matter what he did to try and spend time with her, she always retreated to her room. Because he knew she needed space and time to adjust to losing her father one month and gaining him the next, he let her be.

  But, there was one thing he could offer the conversation.

  “She has good grades, and I’m betting she has a good shot at being inducted into the Honor Society in the spring.” If they stayed in the Poconos.

  Missy’s head snapped in his direction and surprise washed over her face.

  He smiled at her. “Your report card is on the front of the fridge. All A’s and one B is pretty fantastic. I had mostly C’s with an occasional B at your age.”

  She shrugged, but some of the tension had disappeared from her body.

  “Yeah, that is real good,” Nico said, and suddenly Missy was smiling.

  He knew he should be happy she wasn’t angry or sad, but dammit, he’d been working hard to put that expression on her face with no luck. All his friend had to do was look at her and say something nice.

  “She’s brutal at video games,” Mason said. “Ethan made the mistake of challenging her to one of Tyler’s puzzle games and she kicked his…butt.”

  Everyone laughed, even Missy. “In his defense, it was the first time he’d played.”

  “Okay, but what about the first shooter RPG? Or the car game?” Mason grinned. “Ethan told me you kicked his butt in those, too.”

  His sister’s smile increased, and for a moment, she looked genuinely happy. “I like cars.”

  “Me, too.” Nico grinned. “Do you have your learners permit or a license?”

  Her smile instantly disappeared. “No. My dad didn’t want me to drive. He said it would interfere with my studies.”

  Bullshit.

  Anger shot through Lucas so fast he shoved a cannoli in his mouth before his tongue had a chance to say what he thought. There were steps that could be taken to avoid that outcome.

  “It can, but not if you don’t let it,” Evie said quietly.

  Bless her. He appreciated the kindness he heard in her tone.

  Missy nodded. “That’s what I told him. But he still said no.”

  Lucas knew he should probably wait until they were home alone…before she disappeared to her room, but he grabbed his sister’s hand and waited until she met his gaze. “If you really want to learn how to drive, I’ll teach you.”

  Her blue eyes widened. “You will?”

  “Yes. Absolutely.”

  A sweet smile curved her lips, and her face lit up from the inside. “Thank you. I promise I’ll keep my grades up.”

  The urge to pull her in tight for a hug was strong, and unexpected. He wasn’t a hugger. But, it was too much too soon for them both, so he refrained, and a second later, she tugged her hand free.

  “I’d suggest you concentrate on getting your permit for now and wait until the weather breaks before you get behind a wheel.” Nico winked over his steaming coffee at her.

  Damn, hadn’t thought of that. Not something he’d dealt with too much in southern Texas. He’d driven to Colorado with Tanner to ski and tackled snow covered roads, but that was only once a year.

  She readily nodded. “Good idea.”

  Relief eased the knot that had suddenly appeared between his shoulder blades. It was better if he got comfortable driving in the snow before he even attempted to try to teach her.

  “That’ll give me time to get a job and save up for a car.”

  He was struck by how responsible she was at such a young age. Hell, when he’d been sixteen, he’d thought more about getting laid than earning money for a car. Although, he’d also had a job cleaning out horse stalls to help his mother with bills way before he’d entered his teens.

  “Ever think about working in a pizza shop?” Evie asked.

  Nico nodded. “Great idea, sis.”

  “Really? You’d hire me?” Missy bounced her hopeful gaze between the Martelli siblings.

  “Of course.” Evie nodded, her expression growing contrite. “Although, because of your age, I can’t have you waiting tables, since we serve alcohol. And you can’t be near the stove, oven, or deep fryers. That leaves bussing tables and doing dishes for minimum wage.” She shrugged, her tone matching her apologetic expression.

  “I started out doing that at your age, when I spent my summer here,” Jill said, smile tugging her lips.

  Mason’s gaze grew fond as he draped an arm around his fiancée’s shoulder. “And my brothers and I practically broke our necks trying to gain your attention.”

  Her smile widened. “I was too busy trying to blend in with the décor to notice.”

  The couple laughed along with the rest of the group.

  “I’m okay with bussing tables and doing dishes. I’ll take the job. Thanks.” His sister continued to grin. “When can I start? Is tomorrow too soon?”

  Damn. He grinned. That was the most he’d heard her speak since they met.

  Evie laughed, and the sweet sound interfered with his breathing.

  “Sure. But you’ll need a work permit from school.”

  Missy’s chin lifted. “Already have one.”

  He frowned. She did?

  “It’s that blue paper on the fridge next to my report card,” she told him, apparently noticing his confusion. “Dad said if I got good grades I could get a job, then he’d see about driving.”

  “Oh.” He nodded. “Well now, darlin’, it looks like you’re going to get both.”

  Another small smile tugged Missy’s lips.

  “Tomorrow’s fine with me,” Evie said. “But, you have the day off from school. Don’t you have plans to hang out with friends?”

  His sister shook her head. “No. I haven’t really seen them lately. Besides, I’d rather work. And keep busy.”

  A knowing gleam entered the beauty’s eyes and her chin lifted. “We’re usually very busy Black Friday, so I could definitely use your help. Why don’t you drop by around noon, and we’ll get the paperwork started and get a few hours in. Is that okay with you, Lucas?”

  He opened his mouth, ready with a reply, but when she said his name again, his mind blanked. The son-of-a-bitch just up and blanked.

  “Do you have work at that time?”

  Work?

  He cleared his dry throat, which grew dyer and dryer the longer he stared into her warm, caramel gaze. Damn. She was so close, he only had to lean in a little to taste her.

  “I think
he’s scheduled to lead a hike up Chancellor’s Bluff at one.” Mason’s voice broke through his foggy haze.

  He cleared his throat. “Yes. I have a hike at one, so noon is perfect,” he finally answered and was suddenly surrounded by smiling women.

  “You know, Lucas, I’m curious.” Nona stirred her cappuccino and stared him down from across the table. “Why didn’t you come up with the other cowboys for Brandi’s wedding? I don’t recall seeing you there.”

  He held back a grin. “I was supposed to come up, but Kade asked if I’d stay behind to take care of the two rescues he’d just gotten in the night before.”

  Missy turned to stare at him. “You helped him with rescued dogs and cats?” Her gaze actually harbored a little admiration.

  Warmth settled in his chest. It was a new feeling. One he liked. A lot. “Yes. All kinds of animals. These two rescues were horses.”

  Her brows furrowed. “Oh, wow. What was wrong with them? Were they hurt?”

  An image of the poor, emancipated mares flashed through his mind, and his blood pressure shot through the roof. How anyone could be so damn cruel and neglectful to a living, breathing creature they were responsible for, he’d never understand.

  He did, however, empathize with the mares. His father may not have left him starving, but he had shirked his responsibility when he’d sent him away.

  Period.

  Despite his disgust, he cleared his throat and kept his tone even. “They were in pretty bad shape from starvation. It was touch and go for a while.” The youngest nearly died. Twice. “But, they’re thriving now. It’s amazing what a caring family can do.”

  Mrs. Martelli nodded. “You are so right.”

  “Yes,” Mr. Martelli agreed. “Family is everything.”

  “Exactly.” Nona nodded. “So, it would be great if my grandchildren started giving me some great-grand bambinos. I’m not getting any younger, you know. And neither are the two of you.”

  Jill, Mason, and his sister smiled while both Nico and Evie muttered a curse. He glanced at the mortified woman next to him and clenched his jaw to keep from grinning. The color flooding her cheeks made her even more beautiful.