He nodded, releasing her as he sat back. “So, did you always plan to run the family restaurant?”
Surprise washed over her face at the change of subject. She stabbed at the brownie with her fork and smiled. “Yes and no. When I was little, I wanted to be a ballerina, then I hit puberty and…uh…let’s just say I no longer had the ideal shape for that career.”
A grin tugged his lips. Not hardly. But she certainly had an ideal shape. Period. He continued to eat and kept his thoughts to himself.
“I grew up helping out at the shop, and always enjoyed interacting with people. I feel at home there.”
And it showed. The woman ran the place with ease. Never showed stress, even when there were people in line waiting to pay as the phone rang off the hook with takeout orders. She was amazing.
He enjoyed hearing about her childhood, and even shared some of his while they ate. Again, she didn’t judge, and the sweet woman even touched his hand when he’d mentioned his grandmother’s death when he was eight. Evie was beautiful, compassionate and smart.
He sipped his hot chocolate, then set the cup down. “Did you go to college?”
“Business school for two years to get a better grasp on accounting and stuff,” she replied between bites. “What about you?”
“Nope. No college. Just the school of life.” He grinned, but inwardly he cringed, waiting for the look of distaste or worse, that he was beneath her.
But instead, she laughed, her gaze warm and open, not judgmental in any way. “The best kind.”
“And the most affordable.” He watched her closely as he decided to reveal some more of his past. “My mom died when I was seventeen. I spent a year in foster care, so there wasn’t any money for college. But, I always liked the outdoors.”
Her hand covered his again. “What did you do?” Genuine interest sparked in her gaze.
He shrugged. “Truthfully, I’d thought about joining the Army. But my high school buddies, Jesse and Tanner, talked me into joining the National Guard with them. And after graduation, a lot of the ranchers I’d worked for over the years offered me steady jobs.”
She nodded, removing her touch. “The Daltons. You’d mentioned Kade had asked you to stay behind to help the abused horses.”
Once again, the woman shocked him. She’d paid attention, took an interest in him. A strange warmth settled in his chest. “Yeah.” He nodded back. “I helped the Daltons with horses and the McCalls with cattle.”
He wasn’t rich, but he had lived comfortably, leasing a small house, saving up to buy a small spread of his own. But, given the circumstances, he was thankful he’d been spared the headache of selling. The only possession he’d ever splurged on was his truck.
Even though he loved his baby, he’d sell her in a heartbeat if Missy needed more money than her dad had put away for college.
“Working two ranches, plus the guard must’ve kept you busy.”
He sat back and chuckled. “Kept me out of trouble. Mostly.”
She grinned. “I think I’d like to hear about that.”
Damn, the woman had a great grin.
“Maybe, some day.” He set his fork down, needing some air. And to kiss her. Yeah, he really wanted to kiss her. “What do you say we get out of here?”
She nodded, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Wow. We’ve been here over an hour?” She rose to her feet and grinned. “Time flies when I’m with you, cowboy.”
He tossed their garbage in the trash and reached for her hand as they walked out the door. “I know what you mean.”
“Yeah, well…” She hesitated, glancing up at him halfway down the sidewalk. “Did you know I live a few streets from here?”
His heart rocked in his chest. “No.” He shook his head. “I thought…don’t you live with your parents?”
“No.” She smiled. “My brother and I have our own places. We were just visiting them for the holiday. So…want to stop by mine, since you have some time to kill before you get Missy?”
Hell yeah…and no…
His mind pulled him in one direction, while his libido yanked in another.
The smile on her face started to fade, and she tried to jerk free. “Never mind. We should probably get back to the restaurant.”
“Evie, wait.” He tugged her close. “I want very much to go to your place, but…” He blew out a breath and forced himself to take a chance and speak from his heart. “I like you, a lot, and I want to do this right.” He lifted a hand to touch her cheek. “To take this slow, no matter how much I want to strip you naked and kiss you all over, because, even if that wasn’t your intentions with the invite, that’s exactly where we’d end up.”
She sucked in a breath and literally shook in his arms. “Damn, you’re…wow.”
He kissed her forehead and chuckled. “Exactly. This, whatever it is between us, it’s—”
“Special,” she said, slipping her hands around his neck, her face radiant and gaze bright with hope. “I agree.”
He slid his hands to her hips and squeezed. “So, are we good? You won’t be mad if I take a raincheck on the best offer I’ve ever had?”
A brilliant smile lit her face. “No. We’ll be worth the wait. And you’re right. I wasn’t inviting you there for sex, but we would’ve ended up in bed.”
He nodded. “Trust me, darlin’ When I take you to bed—and I will—we’ll need a hell of a lot more than thirty minutes.”
A whole night wouldn’t even be enough.
She sucked in a ragged breath. “I’m going to hold you to that, cowboy.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded, then slowly lowered his mouth to hers to seal the deal.
Later that night, Lucas got a text from Tanner asking him to Skype. Since Missy was already holed up in her room for the night, he headed to his own room and opened his laptop. He hadn’t talked to his friend in nearly three weeks. It would be great to catch up.
He smiled when his buddy’s ugly mug filled the screen. “Well, I was going to ask you how you were doing, but judging by that satisfied grin on your face, I’d say you were doing fine.”
Tanner laughed. “Better than fine, but yeah, things are good. How about with you? Things any better with your sister?”
He blew out a breath and shrugged. “I guess. Still get one word answers sometimes, but for the most part, she’s speaking to me.”
“It’s tough on you both.”
He nodded. “Won’t argue there. But, she seems a little happier since I let her get a job and join an acting workshop thing that Ethan’s girlfriend runs.”
“Phoebe? That’s cool.”
“Yeah. She’s been real encouraging to Missy. I think it’s helped.”
Tanner narrowed his gaze and cocked his head. “So, then tell me, who’s been encouraging you?”
He reeled back. “What are you talking about?”
His buddy laughed. “Come on, man. Fess up. Who is she?”
“She?”
“Yep. The woman who’s put that befuddled look in your eyes. Believe me. I recognize that look. Used to see it my mirror when Gwen first arrived down here. So, don’t bullshit me.”
He snorted. Everyone knew better than to try to pull one over on the bullshit meter of Harland County. Tanner could spot a bullshitter ten miles away. “Her name’s Evie.”
“Great name.”
“Yep. She’s Missy’s boss.”
“Wait, bombshell with caramel eyes and hair?” Tanner asked.
Lucas snapped his head back. “Yeah…how’d you know?”
“Relax, buddy.” His friend chuckled. “I met her at Brandi’s wedding, then Ben’s. She runs the pizza shop, right?”
He nodded, drawing in a breath, more thankful than he cared to admit that his friend hadn’t confessed to having slept with Evie on that first trip. Although, now that oxygen was actually flowing to his brain, he remembered it was Gwen that Tanner had slept with the night of Brandi and Kade’s wedding.
“She must be spec
ial to put that look on your face.”
For a brief moment, he thought about denying it, to keep it to himself, but since everyone in town knew they had something going on, it was only a matter of time before the gossip trickled to Harland County.
“She is. Every time Evie’s near, she makes me feel, I don’t know, like…”
“Old Charlie kicked you in the gut.”
He laughed. “Yeah.” Exactly like the ornery horse fed him a hoof.
“Just don’t do what I did at first with Gwen.”
“What? If you mean have sex, then don’t worry. We haven’t.”
“Wait…what?” Tanner blinked at him and moved closer to the webcam. “That wasn’t what I meant, but now that you brought it up, Harper the suave hasn’t had sex with the women he likes?”
“Quit being an ass.”
His buddy laughed. “Wow, you do like her.”
“Yes. That’s why I want to do this differently. Take it slow. Do it right.”
Although, Jesus, when she’d invited him to her place that afternoon, he’d been so close, so damn close to tossing her over his shoulder and rushing there. He’d dug deep for restraint. Very deep. So deep his insides had fisted tight from the pull.
“Smart,” Tanner said. “I wish you lots of luck, buddy. I know what you’re going through. Believe me. Just make sure you allow yourself to be happy. You deserve it.”
Unsure how to respond to that, he nodded. “Will do.”
“Good.” Tanner cocked his head. “Now, if we could just get Jesse to take that advice.”
He snorted. “The ass is too stubborn, not sure if he and Lacey will ever quit circling one another.”
“I know. I get exhausted just being near them. But you know Jesse, he won’t put the moves on Jace’s sister, no matter how much he wants to. And it’s pissing Lacey off.”
“Yeah, I got the impression with her brother away with Doctors Without Borders, she thought she could wear Jesse down.”
“I know, but if anything, he’s even more determined to keep her at arm’s length,” his friend exclaimed. “Just last night, she showed up at the McCalls’ annual Christmas party all decked out in this sexy red dress, and I tell you, Kevin and I were taking bets Jesse was going to cave, but damn, that man is made of stern shit. He even managed to keep his anger in check when one of Connor’s new ranch hand’s kissed her under the mistletoe. Twice. With tongue.”
“Damn. No shit? Jesse didn’t do anything?”
“His left eye started to twitch, and he down his Jack, then mine before he left the party.”
“Wow.” No way would he be able to sit back and watch some guy put his hands on Evie, let alone enjoy one of her delicious kisses. No damn way.
“I know. Like I said. Stern stuff.”
“Why are you grinning?”
“Because I made a hundred bucks off Kevin.”
Lucas laughed. “You bet him that he wouldn’t buckle.”
“Yep.”
“You’re just lucky Jesse was born with a steel spine.”
“Nothing lucky about it. I know my friends. I know it would take more than a sexy dress and flashy kisses to break him. But the minute she shows him a vulnerable side? He’ll be toast.”
“I agree. He’s the consummate rescuer. Could never resist a damsel in distress.”
“True, just like you can’t resist someone with a kind heart, who puts family first.”
His head snapped back again.
Son-of-a-bitch.
But the bastard was right. How the hell did Tanner know that? Not once had he ever uttered that out loud. No one knew.
“It’s all right, Harper.” Tanner softly chuckled. “Your secret’s safe with me. Just remember what I said. Don’t deny yourself happiness. You do deserve it, too.”
“Yes, Master Hathaway.” He bowed with a grin. “I will heed your words.”
“See that you do, and this time, you’ll get the girl,” Tanner declared before signing off.
Only one other time in his life had Lucas wanted the girl. Brittney. He’d had the hots for her their senior year, and finally got the courage to ask her to prom. She’d said yes, and for three weeks, he’d been riding a euphoric high, until she told him she’d gotten accepted to a fancy west coast college, and wanted him to go, too.
He could’ve moved to California with her—he’d had no family ties or obligations that he knew of at the time—but he’d been afraid he would weigh her down. She deserved to be with someone educated. Someone on her level.
Someone whose own father hadn’t rejected him.
Shit.
Where the hell had that thought come from?
It was stupid. So was the way he’d handled Brittney.
He wasn’t going to make that mistake twice.
Tanner was right. He deserved to be happy. And Evie made him happy. She was a knockout with a kind heart and didn’t give a flying fig about his lack of education, or his relationship with his father. And she seemed the type who would always have his back.
Evie left her house Saturday morning, wearing her favorite boots, long skirt and sweater, and with an extra spring in her step. The week had flown by, and her short dates with Lucas weren’t nearly enough. The fact he was attracted to her but didn’t want to jump into bed, made her feel special. They’d shared dinner and a movie on her couch Tuesday evening when Missy was at her workshop, and Thursday, she’d gone on one of his hikes, but hadn’t touched or kiss him because he’d been working.
Then she’d had to go to work.
Unsatisfied.
But today…today, she was done waiting. And after the kiss he stole last night in the back room at the restaurant while Missy had been finishing her shift, Evie got the impression he was ready, too.
So, when he’d asked her to meet him at the resort for lunch, while Missy was in her workshop, Evie fixed porketta sandwiches on a big breadstick she made especially for them. A simple meal they could eat in the stables, which was where he was at tending to the horses.
With her good parts already tingling in anticipation, she parked her car, grabbed the paper bag filled with food, and a blanket off the front seat, then got out. They had a little over an hour, and she didn’t plan to waste a second.
Chapter Seven
Evie walked past the resort and turned left at the gazebo, taking the trail that led to the stables and away from the lake. The sky was clear, and she smiled up at the sun, marveling over the lack of snow this far into December. Not good for ski season, but welcomed for her trek to eat with Lucas.
She found him inside the heated stable, murmuring sweetly to a tied horse, as he rubbed it with a cloth in a circular motion, head to tail, top to bottom. His discarded flannel shirt hung over a stall door, giving her a clear view of the play of muscles in his arm and back, visible through the thin material of his black T-shirt.
And when he bent? Mamma mia! Her breath caught and heat funneled low in her belly.
Jeans were meant for that man.
He straightened, then turned to face her. “Hey, Evie. Didn’t hear you come in.”
“Just got here.” She cleared her throat and lifted the bag. “Where do you want me?”
Per carita.
She’d meant to say lunch, but well, right now, she wanted him to have her for lunch. The need infusing her body was crazy. Never in her life had she felt this aroused just by looking at a man.
“That’s a dangerous question, darlin’.” His lips quirked while need darkened his eyes. But he didn’t come near her. He stayed by the horse. “Why don’t you go in the room past the tack room? There’s bales in there we can sit on. I’ll be right in. I just need to pick out her hoofs.”
Evie nodded, but her dang feet didn’t move. The sight of his fabulous backside outlined perfectly in those jeans while he gently ran his hand down the horse’s front leg had her rooted to the spot.
He lifted the hoof, tipping it up, and braced the leg with his knee while he gripped the to
ol in his other palm and picked the debris out and away from the shoe. When he gently placed the hoof down, he stood, running his hand over the horse as he walked toward the hind leg.
A grin broke across his face as he caught her still standing there. “Never seen anyone pick a horse’s hoof before?”
She cleared her throat and felt heat rush into her face. “Yes…I’ve done it myself a few times, too.”
“So…you were just watching me to see if I was doing it correctly?”
“No.” She smiled, turned, and walked away, warmed by his soft chuckle that followed her into the room he’d mentioned.
It was actually warm and cozy. A few bales were stacked to the ceiling against the back wall, with two more rows high and three wide, forming a flat surface in front. She tossed the blanket over them, then shrugged out of her coat and hung it on a hook on a side wall near an ax, shovel, and rake.
“All done,” he said, waltzing into the room, drying his hands with a paper towel. “Hope you don’t mind eating in here. Seemed like there was enough space to sit comfortably.”
She smiled. “It’s perfect.”
A delicious gleam entered his eyes as he walked straight for her and gathered her close. “You look great, by the way.”
“Thanks.”
Not only had she worn the long skirt, boots, and sweater just for him, but the matching thong and bra underneath, too. On the off chance he’d see them.
Then he was kissing her, and she slid her arms around his neck and eagerly kissed him back, letting him know she was ready to take the next step. When he lifted his head, they were both dragging in air.
“Sorry,” he said, resting his chin on her head. “I only intended to kiss you hello.”
She smiled and snuggled closer. “You have a great way with words.”
His chuckle vibrated through her as he drew back to smile. “I was inspired.”
“I hope you’re hungry, too, because I brought you a big sandwich.” She pushed out of his arms to unpack their lunch.
Champagne and Cowboys Page 6
