by Sara Orwig
He meant what he said, and, as he kissed her, he wondered how important she was becoming to him? Was he falling in love? He’d better not because it wouldn’t have a happy ending. It was just so good to be with her. So fantastic to make love to her. She sent him up in flames, and he knew he would never forget these nights with her. Before he could walk away from the ranch and leave Royal behind once and for all, he wanted to make more memories with Scarlett, memories he would never forget.
He had the life he wanted in Silicon Valley. Constant deals, chances to develop new ideas, new electronic gadgetry, money beyond his wildest dreams and his pick of beautiful women. It was a fun, carefree world with no strings attached, so why did that sound empty and no longer hold the same attraction and pull that it once had?
* * *
“Scarlett, have dinner with me in Dallas. I’ll get you home early in the morning.”
She knew Luke was unhappy, worried he would end up like his dad and incredibly hurt to find him in such a bad shape. She also knew he was angry with his father for what he said to her, but she wasn’t disturbed by the ramblings of an old, sick and bitter man who was probably suffering from a guilty conscience for his misdeeds as much as from his booze consumption.
She nodded, agreeing to go with Luke because time was running out for them, and she also might be able to cheer him up. “Thanks, Luke. I will. Mom’s good about keeping Carl. I’ll send her a text.”
The minute they closed the door on his hotel suite in Dallas, Luke turned to draw her into his arms and kiss her. He paused, raising his head to look into her eyes. “You make the world better for me, Scarlett. When I’m with you, my problems seem to fall away and all seems right with the world.”
Luke carried Scarlett to his bedroom, where he stood her on her feet by the bed and kissed her again. His fingers unfastened her buttons and soon all clothes were gone, and he held her in his arms in bed while he caressed and kissed her.
* * *
She trailed her fingers over him while he did the same for her. He made love with a sense of desperation, taking her fast and hard. Afterward, he turned on his side, cradling her close, wanting to hold her and never let go.
“You’ve saved me again, Scarlett. I needed you tonight.”
“Luke, I’m sorry. I know it hurt today to see your dad that way.”
Luke tenderly combed her hair away from her face with his fingers. “You’re good, my love. So good. When you’re in my arms, it’s the best feeling in the world. That’s as good as it gets.”
“Ahh, if only you really meant that,” she said softly.
He held her, running his hands over her, finding solace and comfort in just having her close. Even so, he still couldn’t get the visit with his father out of his thoughts. Seeing his dad just convinced him more than ever that their paradise couldn’t last. If he truly was his father’s son, he had no business promising Scarlett and little Carl forever.
He cuddled Scarlett against his side while he ran his finger up and down her slender arm. Her skin was smooth and warm. “Scarlett, this is a dream come true, but I don’t want to mess up your life.”
“You’re not going to mess up my life. I like having you in it—or haven’t you noticed? Why do you think I’m here in your arms?”
“We’re good together in a physical way, but I’m not the man for you. I don’t have to tell you why. You were aghast at the condition of the Double U. You can’t just shrug that off. That blood runs in my veins, too. You’ve seen my dad. Is that going to be me years from now?”
“No, you’ll never be like him.” She brushed a kiss on Luke’s cheek. “Maybe we weren’t ever meant to be, Luke. It isn’t just you. I’m not the woman for you. You should have children who have your blood in their veins, your talents. I can’t give the man in my life children who are blood kin. That’s what it should be for someone exceptional like you.”
“That is just ridiculous. You have an adorable son. You shouldn’t ever worry. You couldn’t have a cuter little baby. You clearly can adopt a baby, and the blood in my veins could get a kid in a hell of a lot of trouble. Bad genes, remember?”
“You have good genes, but you leave. Your life is California, not Texas. I can’t risk loving and saying goodbye again. I’m a mom now and I don’t want my baby to love you and then you walk out. I have to think about Carl.”
He took a deep breath while he frowned. “We just weren’t meant to be. I don’t plan to stay in Texas. I’m a workaholic, and no woman likes that.”
She smiled and got a twinkle in her hazel eyes that made his breath catch. She ran her finger over his chest. “The right woman might get you to come home at night and quit work early in the evening,” she said in a sultry voice.
“You think?” he asked, his voice getting deeper as he slipped his hand behind her head and pulled her to him to kiss her. He rolled her over and moved on top of her, keeping the bulk of his weight off her.
Gazing up at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You don’t have bad genes. You have wicked, fun genes,” she whispered. “And ooh, la, la, what a body.” She pulled his head down to kiss him.
Luke’s heart pounded and he was hard again, wanting her. Scarlett was unlike any other woman he’d ever had. He’d been with some breathtaking women who were sexy, enticing and eager, but no one could excite him as quickly or to the extent Scarlett did. She had freckles, an adorable pixie cut, a gorgeous body with lush curves and long, long legs—every man’s fantasy woman come true. But even more importantly, she had her own view of life, and his money didn’t mean beans to her. Neither did his job or the power he had to do things. Scarlett was very much her own person, and he could warn her about bad genes until the sun fell out of the sky, but she would draw her own conclusions and stick by them.
“You’re a puzzle in a lot of ways,” he whispered, trailing kisses over her throat and ear. “You’re not impressed by things that impress other people. You put a high priority on helping others and animals, but you don’t have a qualm about telling me to go to hell when I annoy you.”
She looked into his eyes. “Luke, you worry too much. And you’ll never figure me out.” She kissed away his answer, and he forgot their conversation as he deepened the kiss and ran his hands over her tempting body. He rolled on his side, taking her with him and thrusting his leg between hers to move them apart so he could caress and fondle her. He heard her gasp and felt her arch against his hand as he stroked her. He wanted her in his bed, in his arms for the entire weekend if he could talk her into it.
* * *
On Saturday, Scarlett sat in her office in her veterinary clinic in Royal right off the downtown area. Luke had brought her to work that morning from his hotel, and he was going to see Will and Cole Sullivan. He had asked her to have lunch with him afterward. They were together constantly now, and when he left Royal and went back to Silicon Valley, she was going to miss him terribly. She knew he would go back without her and without even thinking about asking her to go with him. He understood that she had a life here and would never leave it. Just as she knew he had a life in Silicon Valley and was certain he would never want to leave it, either. They just weren’t meant to be as they had agreed. He thought he had bad genes, and she knew she couldn’t trust him to stay.
If he got the Double U running efficiently, would he even come back to Royal again? He and his dad were obviously not compatible. His dad was being taken care of. The ranch should run smoothly. There was nothing to bring Luke back, and she suspected, the next goodbye would be permanent. Tears pricked her eyelids. She’d loved him all her life, and the thought of never seeing him again hurt deep inside, but she couldn’t turn back time or change the future.
Her intercom buzzed, and the receptionist spoke up. “Scarlett, there’s a man to see you. He said he knows the way and wants to see you in your office. His name is Tanner Dupree.”
Seven
Surprised, her first inclination was to say she was unavailable and refuse to see him. Instead, she said to send Tanner back to her office because she felt obligated to hear him out since they had a history together. She was shocked her ex had returned.
A few moments later, he knocked lightly and entered. “Good morning. I should have sent a text or called, but I didn’t want you to say no.”
“I wouldn’t say no, and I’m surprised. Please have a seat.” Nodding, he sat in a leather chair on the other side of her desk facing her.
“You look great, Scarlett.”
“Thank you. So do you, Tanner,” she said and meant it. He had thick brown hair that had a slight wave and thickly lashed pale brown eyes, and was several inches over six feet tall. As usual, he was well dressed in a dark brown suit and tan tie. Although he was undeniably handsome, he had never made her heart race the way Luke did. She sighed despite herself. Luke, with his blue-green eyes, dark blond hair and mouth that she loved, could make her heart pound even when she was angry with him and she didn’t want to feel anything.
Tanner looked at the picture of Carl on her desk and picked it up. “This is a new picture. It’s not your brother’s baby, is it?”
“No, Tanner. That’s my son, Carl. Remember, I started adoption proceedings because you wanted me to have a baby. There was a lot of pressure from your family. Well, after you left, a newborn became available, so I adopted him.”
“I’ll be damned. You’re a mother,” Tanner said. “I’m shocked you went through the adoption alone. They contacted me and I had no interest in adopting at that point. I assumed you didn’t either. I hope in the future you can at least try fertility treatments to conceive a biological child. I can overlook that you went ahead without me,” he said, staring intently at the picture of Carl.
“They needed a home for this baby, so when they called I said yes. End of story.”
“I’ll tell my family. That will make them very happy. I’ve heard of women who adopt suddenly getting pregnant without fertility treatments. Scarlett, I regret leaving and now, with you having a baby, this is better than I expected.”
She listened to him without even really hearing what he was saying, and knew with full certainty she would never marry him. The truth was, she had never really been in love with him the way she was with Luke. If she ever needed proof she loved Luke, here it was. She felt nothing for Tanner even though she had almost become his wife.
“Tanner, thank you.”
He looked startled. “For what?”
“For walking out. We weren’t really in love, and I realize that now.”
“Scarlett, how can you say that? We were almost married. I just made a terrible mistake. I had pressure from my parents because they wanted an heir and you couldn’t get pregnant, but now you’re a mother and you can see a doctor about getting pregnant.”
“Tanner, I—”
He held up a hand. “No, please, Scarlett, let me finish. You see, I’ve got it all worked out. I went to Chicago and thought I’d go back into sports, being an agent, but I’ve given up being a sports agent. I’m going into the family oil business, and I’ll take over for my dad when he’s ready to retire. After you and I marry, we can live in Dallas where I’ll work, or we can reside in Royal where your clinic is. It’s your call.”
“Tanner, can you hear me?” she said, trying to be patient. “We’re through. You walked out, and that was that. We’re not getting back together. Thank you, but no thanks. We’re finished forever.”
“Give me one more chance.”
“There’s just no point, Tanner,” she said. “I’m not in love with you, and I know it. I don’t think we were ever really in love. You wouldn’t have walked out if you’d truly been in love with me.”
“Is there another man in your life?”
“No, there’s not,” she said because she knew any day now Luke would go back to Silicon Valley and she might not see him for years, if ever.
“I’ve heard your old boyfriend, Luke Weston, is back in town and you two have been together a lot.”
“Yes, we have,” she admitted. “His father left the family ranch in shambles, with the livestock starving and dying. Luke needed my help.”
“Are you two a couple?”
“Not at all. I saved some of his livestock, and he was grateful. Mom has had him out for dinner because he was a family friend, but he has never asked me to commit to him. He has his Silicon Valley life, and I have my vet life in Royal, Texas. We have no future plans. Luke is a long ways from getting married, and so am I...and definitely not to each other.”
“I’m glad to hear that. So I don’t have any big competition?”
“Tanner, have you not heard a word I’ve said? You and I are not in love. I don’t know why you left. I don’t know why you’re back. I have my baby, Carl, and he’s adorable. I don’t want to marry, and even if I did, it would not be to you.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying that. Please, let me take you to dinner. I’d like to see your son. My parents will be so happy to hear that you have a baby. A baby we both could have had. I’m so sorry I walked out. I got scared about such a big commitment. I have huge regrets.”
“It worked out for the best. Find the right person. Someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. Someone you love who loves you back, with her whole heart and soul.”
His eyes turned hard and angry. “Are you sure this isn’t because of Luke Weston? You were in love with him once.”
“No, Tanner, Luke isn’t the reason why. You and I are finished.”
“At least just go to dinner with me and tell me what you’ve been doing. Tell me about this little boy. You surely will give me that much, won’t you?”
She smiled politely and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but the answer is no. You made your choices. I’m making mine. Going to dinner won’t change anything.”
“I made a terrible mistake.”
“Actually, Tanner, the way it all worked out, I have my little boy now, so, in my eyes, what you did was never a mistake.
She walked around her desk and toward the door, hoping he get the hint. She breathed a sigh of relief when he followed her. “I’ve missed you,” he said.
She shook her head. “My life has changed a lot, and we can’t go back and undo our pasts.”
“We did have fun, Scarlett.”
“Yes, we did, but it’s over now.” She stepped into the hall, and, when he followed, she stepped back into her doorway. “You know the way out.”
Tanner clamped his jaw closed, nodded tersely and strode away. She knew he was angry, but he had made his choices earlier and now he was living with the results. He had just walked out on her when they were ready for the wedding and then disappeared without a word. Looking back, she realized that Toby hadn’t been nearly as angry over Tanner practically leaving her stranded at the altar as he had been with Luke when he broke up with her all those years ago. For the first time it dawned on her that Toby might have been happy to see Tanner go out of her life.
As she walked back to her desk, she thought of the few times Toby had been around Tanner, and he had been cool and not quite his usual friendly self. She smiled because Toby had never said an unkind word to her about Tanner until he bailed on her, but now she realized Toby never had liked him in the first place.
When she had dated Luke in high school, Toby had liked him. This anger with Luke had come about after Luke left for California and hurt her so badly.
She closed the office door and crossed the room to pick up Carl’s picture. Love filled her and she smiled. This was why Tanner had been good in her life. Because of his insistence on a baby, she had started the adoption procedure, and then Tanner left and she got Carl, her own little boy. She put the picture against her heart and hugged it lightly.
Setting the picture
back on the desk, she looked at her calendar, called her assistant and told her she was going home for a couple of hours, something had come up. She called her mom to tell her that she wanted to come home to get something and she would see her shortly. She had called just to make sure her mom and Carl would be home.
Smiling, she grabbed her purse and left through the back to hurry to her car and head home to the ranch.
She passed the hotel where Luke was staying and thought of him naked in bed, a thought that made her draw a deep breath. At this hour he would either be poring over the information Cole Sullivan had provided, or out working on something else. He wouldn’t be in bed by himself at this hour.
She couldn’t wait to get home and hold Carl in her arms. Her son was the only reason she could think kindly about Tanner and be glad that he was in her life briefly. There was only one man who was the love of her life, but he wouldn’t return her love, and she couldn’t trust him not to break her little boy’s heart.
Even so, she loved Luke Weston with every fiber of her being, and it was going to hurt even worse than before when he left.
* * *
Luke sat in the Royal Diner over coffee. He had met with Abe Ellingson yesterday afternoon, and they had pored over the house plans and everything was set. He had an appointment today with Reuben, who had already hired three men to help. Reuben had wanted Luke to come to the final interviews on the first men he hired because Reuben wanted one of them for the foreman job. He wanted the other two because they could take charge in the foreman’s absence. In a few more days, everything should be moving smoothly along, but Luke hadn’t felt any rush to return to California.
That shocked him because Silicon Valley had been his world for a lot of years now. It was Scarlett that held him here, and he knew it. It didn’t do any good to know the reason because he couldn’t do one thing about it. He was not messing up Scarlett’s life and little Carl’s. His visit with his dad had brought back how terrible things had been at his home when he was growing up with two drunks for parents. He was going to see to it that that never happened to him, but the best way was to stay single. He had been supremely happy with his no-strings life in Silicon Valley. Why did it seem so empty now?
