Lasso That Cowboy

by Lynde Lakes

  Luke shook his head, and then laughed thinking of how he’d roped Amber. He’d like to believe this was payback, but he had a hunch she wouldn’t let him get off that easily. He tied their horses’ reins to a contorted oak branch and snatched a rolled navy blue blanket from the back of his saddle. Amber and Alicia helped him spread the cover under the tree, laughing as the wind grabbed a corner from their hands. It was heartwarming to hear Alicia laugh so freely and stirring to hear a woman’s laugh again. He’d hadn’t realized how much he’d missed having a woman around. He placed the basket on the edge to hold it in place and dropped to his knees. Amber positioned herself at the farthest corner of the blanket, looking as stiff and prim as an old-time school marm. She returned his stare with a questioning look.

  Finally, she arched a brow and said, “Are you guarding that basket? Or would you like to pass it over here and I’ll spread out lunch.”

  When their hands brushed, Amber gasped at the crack of static electricity. He smiled at the sizzle between them. Rather than sharing his amusement, Amber looked like a colt about to bolt.

  “Relax, Amber. A little electricity never killed anyone.”

  Debate glinted in her eyes, but she held back. With trembling hands, Amber laid out the thermos, apples, peanut butter cookies, and sandwiches she’d made. Luke unwrapped a sandwich, wondering what she’d chosen from his well-stocked refrigerator. The aroma of mesquite-grilled barbecued beef and onions wafted in the air.

  “Ah, you found the carne asada.” He’d brought a big plate home from Matt’s house.

  “Is it okay?”

  He winked. “Couldn’t be better.”

  Amber prepared a plate for Alicia before she made her own. They chattered about their favorite picnic foods, and Amber promised next time she’d include the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches Alicia preferred.

  To make Alicia and Amber laugh, Luke shared stories about some of the weird concoctions he and his brothers used to whip up, but he wasn’t thinking about talk, food, or laughter. A leaf fluttered from the oak and caught in Amber’s hair. He wanted to brush it away—wanted to tangle his hands in that thick mane of hers and kiss her breathless. Damn. She was his daughter’s nanny. He had to keep reminding himself.

  “You and Alicia seem to have hit it off. She’s happier than she’s been in a long time.”

  “Me, too. I never expected to have so much fun.”

  He laughed. “It’s never boring, is it?”

  The harmony between them was important to him on more levels than he cared to examine. If he didn’t want to lose this nanny who seemed to have a natural way with Alicia, he’d have to keep a professional relationship and resist the vibes surging between them.

  “Do you have some kind of special degree in child care you failed to tell me about? Or is it that you came from a family full of kids?” The mystery about Amber kept him off balance. Who was he kidding? Everything about her kept him off balance.

  Her laughter tinkled like wind chimes. “Not really. Guess I’m part kid myself.”

  She looked down at her plate. He saw a tremor go through her body. She had to be feeling the all-consuming tension between. He couldn’t feel the force so strongly if it were one-sided. And if it wasn’t one-sided, she was putting up one hell of a fight. For all their sakes, he had to do likewise.

  He forced his gaze from Amber and watched the breeze ripple the meandering, silvery-green creek. The restful gurgling of water did nothing to soothe his inner turmoil. He wanted Amber more than he’d ever wanted any woman.

  When they finished eating, Alicia laid her head in Amber’s lap and fell asleep. Amber stroked the child’s back with a gentle, mothering touch. He’d done the right thing when he hired her. She truly cared for his child.

  Several heartbeats of silence passed. His arms ached to hold her. Wrong as it was, he couldn’t block his desire.

  Amber looked up and caught him staring at her. “What?” she asked.

  He shook his head, and as a cover, repeated himself. “You’re incredible with Alicia.”

  “She’s a great kid.” The softness in Amber’s voice touched him plumb to his soul. “And you’re a great father, Luke Ryan.”

  God, she was making this difficult. He wanted to hug her so damned bad. “I try. It isn’t always easy.” He didn’t want to talk about himself, but so far he’d failed in all his efforts to draw Amber out. Maybe if he revealed a few skeletons in his closet. “I used to be an unbroken stallion, wild as they come. Thought of myself as a ladies’ man.”

  Amber laughed. “I heard about that side of you, and believe me, it’s not nearly as charming as the daddy side of you.”

  “Thanks, I think.” He’d made her laugh again. That was a start.

  “From what Mando said, it sounded like you guys were two-fisted drinkers.”

  “Can’t deny it.” Luke swallowed. The drinking part rubbed him like a burr under the saddle. “I used to choose the messy route, drifting through life with no real goals, falling into barroom brawls and unfit relationships. I played life like a crap game and risked it all.”

  “What changed?” she asked.

  Images of Parker’s bloody body lying in the dirt hit him like the kick of a bull. Luke’s throat constricted. Heat rushed to his face. Damn. He’d thought it would be easier to talk about this. It was a moment before he could speak.

  “Some lowlife murdering my big brother had a lot to do with it.” He winced at the huskiness in his voice. “Parker and I were both drunk as skunks when it happened. Reckon losing him made me see that he and I were just marking time, not building anything. Contrary to what some say about the middle siblings, Matt was the responsible one. Suddenly I wanted to be just like him.”

  “I’m sorry about Parker,” Amber said softly.

  “Yeah, well it’s been a tough three years.” His brother, his wife, and six months ago, his dad had died of a heart attack.

  Amber touched his hand. “I heard about the others. All that loss must’ve been hard on Alicia, too. She needs you now more than ever.”

  He took a fortifying breath. “I know. But sometimes I feel I’m not up to the job.”

  “From what I’ve seen, I’d say you’re doing fine.”

  Hypnotized by her gentle, comforting words, Luke moved closer to Amber. He caught her fragrance—the scent of ginger blossoms stirred by a hot afternoon breeze. The muscles at the back of his neck tightened. Lordy, how he wanted to hold her…No. He had to forget that!

  Luke squared his shoulders. Dammit, he’d bared his secrets. Now he wanted to hear hers. “What made you answer my ad? You strike me as a woman with many talents.”

  She toyed with a blade of grass. “I’d never lived on a ranch. Thought it would be a healthy change.”

  He didn’t buy it for a minute. He’d bet limited options were part of it. Her evasiveness rubbed Luke’s nerve-endings, making him edgy. But he couldn’t lay all the blame on her for his edginess. The damn incessant hot wind, the loneliness, and the constant strain from battling his reckless impulses got to him. He still walked a mighty narrow rail, afraid his old destructive ways would burst loose like a herd of wild horses and his inner wildness would spill out. But Amber wasn’t helping one damned bit with her secretive behavior!

  His throat felt as dry as sun-scorched hay. “What did your family and friends say when you just picked up and left?” he asked, approaching the subject from another direction.

  Amber moistened her lips. They parted slightly, beckoning to him with their natural pinkness and delicately sculpted shape. He fought a reckless urge to kiss her.

  Her look intensified and hummed with so much sexual energy he barely remembered his own question when she finally said, “I’ve been on my own for a while. No one knows I’m here.” The finality in her tone declared clearly she wanted to keep it that way.

  He was getting nowhere. “I’ve told you some private stuff about me over the last couple of days, and I’d like to think that means we’re
friends.”

  “We are,” she said, snapping the words out as if she regretted the truth behind them.

  “Then how about opening up a little?” He was taken off guard by the bedroom-huskiness of his voice. He sounded like he was trying to seduce her, rather than just get a blasted straight answer.

  “In a very short time, I’ve grown fond of you and Alicia. But I’m an extremely private person, and you’ll have to respect my limits.” Her chin surged up as she drew her protective veneer around herself and slammed her emotional door in his face.

  “Dammit. What are you hiding?” Luke wanted to shake Amber almost as much as he wanted to gather her in his arms.

  A swift flush rose in her cheeks, and she nailed him with a searing look that could brand a steer. “If you brought me out here just to grill me, forget it.”

  Alicia sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What’s wrong, Daddy? Are you mad at Amber?”

  “No, honey. I’m mad at myself.” He’d tried to take the bit in his teeth and forge ahead, and it hadn’t worked. But this sure as hell wasn’t the end of it.

  Abruptly, Amber stood and walked toward the horses. Her slim body, softened by gentle curves, moved as fluidly as the flow of Verde Creek. Anger rushed out of Luke like a burst dam, leaving in its place a longing just as volatile.

  For Alicia’s sake, he tried to smooth things over. The results rolled out unsuccessful. Although Amber put up a friendly front for her charge, the ride back to the ranch was mostly silent, and filled with tension. Even Alicia was upset. She wanted to go to Eterno Cave, but he knew Amber wasn’t in the right frame of mind to explore the inside of a mountain. Saying no to Alicia was something he seldom did, and disappointing her knotted his stomach.

  Later that night, as he tossed and turned in bed, he wondered how a day that had started out so well had ended with disappointment all around.

  ****

  Amber couldn’t sleep. She threw off the light sheet and went to the window, rubbing her arms as she stared out into the darkness. It would be impossible to avoid Luke’s questions forever. If only she could remember what had caused her amnesia. Maybe if she analyzed the events of that horrible night step-by-step…Amber closed her eyes. Dear God, she couldn’t move beyond the image of the man’s bloody body lying there next to her.

  He was a big guy, silver-haired, and dressed in a gray Armani suit. Blood stained the front of his white shirt. He’d been shot in the chest. Probably by the .38 she had discovered clasped in her hand. She had searched frantically for a pulse and found none. Blood splattered her tailored, camel-colored dress. The name Amber was engraved on the gold bracelet she wore. Desperate for clues about who she was and what had happened, she checked the two suitcases by the door. One was full of women’s clothing, probably hers.

  Sirens wailed. Tires screeched. She glanced over the terrace railing. Police charged into her high-rise. She grabbed the suitcase and the gun, and ran for the fire exit.

  Shock and a sense of danger beyond her fear of the police had driven her irrational actions. The next morning she had looked for headlines on the murder and found none. She didn’t know what was going on, or who she was, but she knew she was in big trouble. She had checked the classified ads for any job that would take her out of town.

  Coming here had brought new problems. If she had thought her predicament through, she might have stayed and sought help from a doctor and a good attorney. However, in her confused state, she had allowed adrenaline, instinct, and fear to spur her to run. Now she had to face the consequences. She was probably a suspect in a murder. To make things more complicated, she had fallen for her employer and his child, and the closer she got to them the more he pressured her for personal information. She yearned to tell him the truth, wished she trusted him enough, but he would likely call the police. Besides, he had enough problems of his own without having to deal with hers.

  Amber clasped her hands, prayer-like. Please, Lord, help me find my way out of this. I don’t want to run again.

  ****

  Before sun up, Luke slipped into his daughter’s bedroom. Moonlight streamed through the window, bathing Alicia in a shimmery glow. She looked like an angel. He kissed his finger and lightly touched it to the widow’s peak on her forehead. “Daddy loves you, Rosebud,” he whispered.

  He ached to pick her up, to cradle her close, to breathe in her little girl scent. Instead, he tiptoed out of the house and headed for his brother’s place.

  As though waiting for him, Matt was on the porch in semi-darkness, drinking coffee. Luke searched his mind for the right words to tell Matt his plans. He wiped his sweaty palms on his Levi’s. Maybe he shouldn’t jump right into it. Timing was everything. Best to start with ranch business.

  “Mornin’, bro,” he said. “I’m on my way to Dodson.” They had already discussed the cattle auction and agreed he would go as high as $150,000 for a breeding bull with prime lineage.

  Matt took a gulp of coffee. “You taking the Cessna?”

  “The chopper. Luis is using the Cessna to drop fencing in the west sector.”

  Matt went silent and rubbed his jaw as if something mighty serious was on his mind. Luke frowned. Could Matt already know about his plans to spend some time away from the ranch? “Something bothering you, bro?”

  “Someone murdered Elmer.”

  “What?” Luke recoiled as though a mule had kicked him in the gut. “Who would kill Elmer?” Everyone liked the gentle giant trucker.

  Matt shook his head. “The murderer was after information. Elmer was tortured.”

  “Tortured? Good God! How could that be? Elmer was a trucker, not an international spy.”

  “San Antonio police said the attacker repeatedly jabbed a razor blade under Elmer’s finger and toe nails. You can bet whatever information he had, the murderer has it now.”

  Luke winced, imagining Elmer’s suffering.

  “It happened in a shed at the rear yard of the trucking firm where Elmer worked.” Matt paused and sent Luke a hard look. “Right after he returned from our ranch.”

  “You think there’s a connection?”

  “Wasn’t Elmer the trucker who brought Amber here?”

  A chill slithered down Luke’s spine. “Maybe Elmer ignored the no riders rule one too many times.”

  “Didn’t look that way,” Matt said. “The cops believe the killer waited for him, then clobbered him over the head with a tire iron. The blow knocked Elmer out, or dazed him. Next, the killer dragged him to the shed and tied him up to torture him.”

  “Elmer was a big guy…”

  “Probably more than one assailant.”

  Luke tried to force the image of the attack from his mind. “We should have a memorial service here on the ranch for those who knew him.”

  “Good idea,” Matt said. “And we can take up a collection for the widow.”

  “Elmer would like that. He was big on family.”

  “I want to talk to Amber,” Matt said. “She was one of the last people to see Elmer alive. Maybe he said something to her that might help the cops find his killer.”

  Luke bristled. “Why are you digging around in this? You’re retired from the bureau, remember?”

  “Elmer was a friend. That makes it my business.”

  “Well, Amber’s my daughter’s nanny. If she’s to be questioned, I’ll do it.”

  “You? She hasn’t answered one of your questions yet. What makes you think you’ll ever get anything out of her?”

  Luke hated lying, but he hated more that his brother was always right. “You’re wrong, she’s opening up to me.”

  Matt sent him a doubting look. “I’ll bet. What about the tapes, did you watch them?”

  “I did, and she’s great with Alicia. You’re not messing this up, Matt. I’ll talk to her about Elmer myself.”

  “Don’t turn this into a power struggle, Luke. I’ve given you a wide stall to work in, but this is murder, and Elmer was our friend. If you don’t want me to talk to Amber
alone, fine. But I want to be there.”

  “Yeah. I forgot. You never completely let go of the reins.”

  “That’s not fair, Luke, and you know it. Don’t let this woman come between us.”

  “It won’t be a woman. But…” Luke had put up with his dad’s lack of confidence in him, but he wasn’t gonna take it from Matt.

  Matt frowned. “I’ve tried, Lord knows, but I just don’t share your confidence in Amber.”

  “I said I’ll talk to her!”

  Matt threw his hands in the air. “Have it your way. But do it today. Time’s a factor in catching killers.”

  “Yeah, right.” It galled him that Matt was always right.

  Luke shifted his weight and looked down at his worn snakeskin boots. Damn. He couldn’t tell Matt he was leaving on the heels of Elmer’s murder. Nevertheless, their argument had strengthened his determination to go. “Gotta run. Can’t bid on the bull from here,” he growled.

  ****

  Amber liked the housekeeper, Tita from the moment she met her. The woman spoke her mind and seemed to adore Alicia. Her son, Roberto, was with her. Although Tita looked too young to have a nineteen-year-old son, the family resemblance was strong. Tita was tall and dark like Roberto with the same expressive brown eyes. Roberto appeared nicer than he had in the barn. He tickled and teased Alicia, and she ate up the attention, and followed him about the house like a puppy. After Roberto finished helping Tita, he sauntered outside, Alicia on his heels. Amber chased after them. Roberto mounted the fence of a small pen.

  “Stay back, niña,” he called.

  Amber grabbed Alicia’s hand. “Honey, we can watch from the fence,” she said, boosting Alicia up on the rail. Excitement sent a shiver through Amber. This could be her chance to learn to use a lasso. Tita had bragged that Roberto was one of the best cattle ropers on the ranch, and that he loved to show off.

  The calf changed speed and dodged the rope. Roberto lassoed the skittish animal with ease, then released the calf to do it again.

  “Way to go, Roberto,” Amber said. “Hey, pardner! Ever give lessons?”

  He laughed. “I’m willing. But we’d better start with a fixed object like a post.” He vaulted the fence and handed her a rope. He showed her how to stand and knot the loop. “Posture’s muy importante, señorita,” he said.