“I’ll pick you up at ten o’clock sharp. We’ll grab breakfast at Sally’s Place, then drive over to Lone Tree for your fitting.” Annelise took her hand. “Wait till you see Maggie’s shop, Sophie. You’ll love it!”
“I’m looking forward to it.” She shot a look at Maggie. “And my maid of honor’s dress better not be matronly.”
Maggie, standing at the table’s end, laughed. “I don’t think you need to worry about that. Your cousin’s taste is too good, and my ego’s too big. You’ll look magnificent—and sexy as hell.”
“Great! See you tomorrow then.”
She joined Ty, and together they walked out, side by side. Sophie felt the sting of a dozen pair of eyes burning into her back as they passed curious townspeople at the tables.
Because she was the new girl in town or because she was with the widower?
Or maybe because they really were giving off sparks—despite his reluctance. If she touched him again, would Bubba’s go up in flames?
Her heart did a little happy dance in her chest.
Too beautiful. Too tall. Too broad-shouldered.
Too everything.
And, lest she forget, the daddy of triplets.
Her heart stopped dancing to collapse on the floor and cry as she mentally crossed the to-die-for cowboy off her list.
It had to be done.
And wasn’t that a shame?
The night had cooled off. As Sophie and Ty walked through the parking lot, she shivered.
He unlocked the big truck and reached into the back seat. “Here you go. This should keep you warm.”
“Thanks.” Slipping into the flannel jacket, she breathed deeply. His scent enveloped her. Warm and masculine. Sexy and hot.
It didn’t smell like a daddy’s jacket.
And exactly what in the world would a daddy’s jacket smell like? she asked herself. Get a grip.
“Ty—”
“Sophie—”
They spoke at the same time. Both stopped and laughed.
He started up the truck and pulled out, the headlights cutting a swath through the darkness.
“I’m sorry Annelise forced you to dance with me, Ty. She’s got this crazy idea that, in order to be complete, I need a guy in my life.”
He cut her a look. “You don’t agree?”
“No!”
“Good for you. I figured it was you getting the nudge from her. That Annelise was trying to set me up, asking you to fall on the sword, as it were. I don’t know how much you know about me, but—” He wet his lips, raked fingers through his hair.
“It’s okay, Ty.” She laid a hand on his arm. “I know.”
His voice deepened, took on a gruff edge. “Okay.”
“Let’s just leave it at that.”
“Good enough.”
“Does Haley live on your ranch?”
“Yeah, she and Bob have a small place there. Works well for everybody.”
“Do you have a bunkhouse?”
“Yep. A small one.”
She grinned. “Hmmm. The whole Western thing.”
He laughed. “I don’t know about that, but before you ask, no, I don’t have a gunslinger on my payroll. The bunkhouse is necessary. Running a ranch is a big job, one I couldn’t do alone. It’s a whole lot easier if some of the hands live on the Burnt Fork. You really are a city slicker, aren’t you?”
“Undeniably and unapologetically, yes, I am. Burnt Fork. That’s the name of your ranch?”
He nodded and turned into Dottie’s drive. Getting out, he moved around the front of the truck to open her door. A born-and-bred gentleman, Sophie thought. She’d noticed lots of that tonight. Apparently, here in Texas, mothers still taught their boys good manners.
As she got out, she said, “Good night, Ty. Thanks for the ride.”
He took hold of her arm. “I’ll walk you to your door.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Yes, ma’am, it is. My mama taught me to always walk my—ah, a woman to the door at night. To see her safely inside.”
“You said Maverick Junction was safe.”
“It is. It’s a handy ploy, though, for a fellow to get to spend a little more time with his girl.”
But I’m not your girl, she thought. Nor would she ever be.
The moon shone in the big Texas sky as they walked along the drive, and their shadows merged, blending into one. From the darkness beyond, Sophie heard insects chirping and wondered what else was hiding out there in the night.
Paying attention to everything except where she was walking, she stumbled on a loose stone that had kicked into the drive. Ty reached out, put a hand on her arm, and her heart did a little backflip. At the base of the stairs, she turned to face him. “Thanks so much, Ty. For everything. I had fun tonight.”
“I’d feel better if you’d let me walk you up. See you safely inside.”
She shook her head. “You need to get home to your boys.”
He hesitated. “Guess you’re right. They’re asleep, but they’ll be up with the cows tomorrow.” After a heartbeat, he said, “You know, you remind me of Tinker Bell.”
Her brows furrowed. “Tinker Bell?”
“Peter Pan’s friend.”
“Yes, I know who she is.”
“You’ve kind of got that fanciful look about you. Like a fragile, blond fairy.”
“Fanciful?”
He blushed. “You know what I mean.”
She tipped her head. “Well, that’s, ah, the first time anyone’s said that to me. But it’s good, right?”
“Absolutely.”
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I love fairies, actually.” She wiggled her brows. “I keep them close.”
“You keep them— No, that’s okay.” He shook his head. “I don’t need to go there.”
She slid out of his jacket and handed it to him, suddenly awkward. How did you end a date that wasn’t a date? Glancing at him, at his face silvered by the moon, she realized he was probably stuck in the same quandary.
He reached for his jacket, and their fingers brushed. That same shock of electricity zinged through her.
Clearing her throat, she said, “Guess I’ll see you at the rehearsal dinner?” She laid a hand on the stair railing.
“If not before.”
As she raced up the steps, she was all too aware of him watching her. After she turned on the inside light, she moved to the window, careful to stay out of view.
He hadn’t moved a muscle. Still as a sentry, he stared up toward her window. Then, with a grace that would have surprised her before their dance, he walked back to his big black truck and drove away.
It would be a long time, she decided, before sleep would visit tonight. Ty Rawlins might be a good person to avoid while she did her time in Maverick Junction. For the next few days, she’d best stick to Brawley if she needed a partner.
Turning out the light, she curled up in Annelise’s cozy armchair and stared into the nighttime sky.
“Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight—”
Chapter Five
Ty grabbed his sunglasses from the dash and slid them over sleep-deprived eyes. He’d tossed and turned half the night, and, as predicted, his boys—the ones he and Julia had created—had been up at the crack of dawn. Sophie’s scent lingered in the truck, filled his head, his mind. Julia had always smelled great, too. He tried desperately to bring back the smell of her. Instead, the flowery scent of Sophie pushed in, crowded out memory.
Shit!
He rolled down his windows and let the cool morning air rush into the cab, emptying it of Tinker Bell’s sweet, feminine smell.
Yeah, sometimes at night after the boys were tucked in bed sound asleep, he was lonely. Yeah, he missed a woman’s touch. Missed a woman to turn to in the middle of the night. But damn it, he and the boys were getting along fine.
Magic and fairy dust had no place in his life. He’d do well to remember that.
P
ulling into Dottie’s drive, he took a minute to settle himself, then sprinted up the stairs.
He frowned as he rapped on Sophie’s kitchen door. How safe could it be to have this flimsy glass window in it? A simple matter to shatter the glass. Anybody could be inside in seconds.
If somebody wanted to break in. Certainly not out of the question, but highly unlikely here in Maverick Junction. He might mention it to Dottie. Ask if she’d consider replacing it with something a little sturdier.
“Come on in. The door’s unlocked. I’m almost ready.”
Guess the window didn’t matter since Sophie didn’t even bother to lock up—and then announced it. And hadn’t he been the one to tell her it was safe here? That locks weren’t necessary? Still—
He turned the knob and stuck his head inside. “Hey, Tink, it’s me. Annie asked me to drive you out to the ranch.”
“What?”
Sophie’s head popped around the bedroom door, big brown eyes framed by that white-blond hair. And bare shoulders. Lord help him, the woman wasn’t dressed. He swallowed. Hard.
A frown appeared between those intelligent eyes.
“Sorry. I couldn’t hear what you said. Why are you here?”
“A better question is why you didn’t ask who was at your door before inviting me in.”
Her shrug again drew his eyes to those silky shoulders. Those bare, silky shoulders.
“I figured it was Annelise.”
“But it wasn’t.”
“It could have been.”
Useless, he realized, and gave up.
“I had to come into town to drop the kids off at day care, so Annie asked me to pick you up and drop you off at the ranch on my way home. It’ll save her backtracking. She figured the two of you could go right from Cash’s place to Maggie’s in Lone Tree. So, looks like I’m your appointed driver this morning.”
“Oh, Ty, I’m sorry. This is twice now. Actually, three times. Annelise should have called. There’s no reason I can’t rent a car.”
“Nah. Doesn’t make any sense to do that.” He leaned against the door, felt the warmth of the sun coming in the window against his back. “I don’t mind. And I was already in town, so it’s no big. Honestly.”
She still looked skeptical. “I need a couple minutes.” Her head disappeared around the door frame.
“Pour yourself a cup of coffee,” she called from the bedroom. “It’s fresh. Only made it maybe ten minutes ago.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Ty went to the cupboard and dug around till he found a cup, then poured himself some. He carried it to the table and sat in one of the chairs Annie’d refurbished.
He looked around the kitchen and living area, at the blue walls. Tiffany blue, Annie’d told him. He smiled. A woman and Tiffany’s. Fitting.
The change made him think of Roger Barry who had rented this apartment from Dottie for years. He’d brought the old guy home a couple times after he’d had a few too many at Bubba’s, and this place had been a disaster. Roger had moved out, and the place sat empty until Annie rode into Maverick Junction on that big Harley of hers.
And although she had enough money to buy the state of Texas and still have plenty left over, she’d repainted the walls herself, then furnished the place from the secondhand shop in town and a few yard sales.
The apartment wasn’t much, just one main room with a bedroom and bath off to the left. Annie’d divided the big room into kitchen, dining, and living areas. By the far window, he spotted the old brown sofa that had been in Cash’s grandfather’s living room. Boy, as kids, he, Cash, and Brawley had done some major arm-wrestling on that thing.
Studying the small space, he had to admit she’d done one heck of a job. With a little bit of money and a whole lot of elbow grease, style, and imagination, she’d completely transformed the apartment and made it her own.
Thing was, it fit Sophie, too. The bright colors, the sunlight. The feminine touches. Salvaged crystal mixed with whimsy.
For a split-second, he let himself wonder what Sophie’s place in Chicago looked like. Tried to picture her in the cold, windy city. Truth was, he couldn’t imagine her looking any more perfect than she did right here in the Texas sunshine.
The sun rose above the tree outside the living room and a rogue beam danced into the apartment, straight through the sun catchers that hadn’t been there yesterday. And damned if they weren’t fairies.
Right in the center? A stained-glass Tinker Bell.
“Do you think I’m dressed okay?”
Ty turned to look at Sophie, who stood in the doorway between the kitchen and bedroom. And she’d given him permission to stare. Thank you, Jesus.
She wore coffee-colored pants with a long-sleeve blouse the color of Texas bluebonnets on a sunny day. It flowed around her like molten glass. Two crosses on silver chains along with a strand of multicolored crystals shimmered at her neck. A bold cuff bracelet encircled her tiny wrist; large silver hoops glinted at her ears. And, again, she wore a pair of killer heels that screamed, Do me.
Sweat popped out on his brow.
The woman smelled like a field of wildflowers. The same scent that had filled both his truck’s cab and his dreams last night. This morning.
Annie was going to have to get someone else to play chauffeur after this trip. He didn’t want the feelings Sophie stirred in him. Never again. He couldn’t do it again.
He took a sip of coffee to give himself another second. “You look fine. Maggie’s gonna love that top.”
“You think? I’m so excited. I’m dying to see her shop after everything Annelise has told me about it.”
“Maggie’s worked hard and done well. Annie wearing her dress to that big to-do in Dallas gave her a huge nudge. I worry she’s gonna leave us. Head to New York City. Be good for her, I guess, but we’d sure as hell miss her.”
Sophie nodded. “There are always two sides to the coin, aren’t there?”
“Yep.” He drank again. “So you girls are going off for the day. I never have understood that. I mean, how long can it take to try on a dress?”
“This isn’t just any dress.”
He rolled his eyes. “Right.”
“Oh, you’re such a man.”
“Guilty as charged. Seriously, though. Come on. Give. What’ll you do today? Really.”
“Ohhh. Are you asking me to divulge the secrets of the sisterhood?”
“Yeah, guess you could say that.”
“Hmmm.” She crossed the room toward him. “Do I have time for a cup of coffee before we go? If I’m going to be divulging deep, dark secrets, I need caffeine.”
He grinned. “You bet. I don’t think there’s any rush.” He held up his cup. “Good coffee, by the way.”
“Thanks. I brought the beans with me. I buy them at a little deli on the corner. I very rarely drink coffee, but when I do, it has to be the best. I’m spoiled, I guess.” She shrugged. “Today felt like a coffee day, and I thought Annelise might like some when she got here.”
At the counter, Sophie poured herself a cup, added cream, and walked back to the table. Sitting across from Ty, she thought again what an easy man he was to look at. What an easy man he was to talk to when he relaxed. When he put away the sadness she’d seen at the Fourth of July barbecue and last night when he’d thought no one was watching. When the couples in their group were holding each other close on the dance floor.
She decided to keep things light.
“Well, let’s see. What will we do first?” She tapped her chin with pastel pink nails. “Obviously, I’ll try on my maid-of-honor gown, but only after I ooh and ahh over Maggie’s shop and her creations. Which I’m sure I’ll do. We might shed a few tears. Try on a few things.”
At his grunt, she took a bracing sip of coffee and closed her eyes. She’d needed that.
“I saw plenty of tabloid pictures of Annelise and Cash at the Dallas fund-raiser. The dress Maggie designed for her was nothing short of spectacular.”
“Lik
e I said, our Maggie’s good.”
“Good?” She laughed. “That’s like saying Pride and Prejudice is a nice little story. What a gross understatement. But since we’ve already established you’re a guy, I’ll let it go. You just can’t understand. It’s not in your genes.”
“Whoa, are you male-bashing already? It’s not even nine o’clock.”
“Nope. No bashing. Simply telling it like it is. Anyway, after I slide into my gorgeous gown and we all dry our eyes, Maggie will no doubt decide she needs to take a few nips here, a couple tucks there.”
She grimaced. “She might even have to let out the side seams. Northern winters tend to pack on a few pounds.”
“Hah, I seriously doubt that’s a problem for you,” Ty said.
“Thank you, sir. Your mother taught you well.” She wrapped her hands around her cup. “Anyway, once Maggie’s satisfied the dress fits me and is up to her standards, we’ll probably stop by the liquor store and pick up a couple bottles of vodka or, better yet, tequila. Then we’ll head to Maggie’s to eat pizza, drink margaritas, and smoke cigars.”
For just the barest second, his mouth dropped open. Then he rolled his eyes and groaned. “You’re putting me on.”
“Yes, I am.”
Disarming dimples popped out again when he grinned, and she could barely keep her fingers from reaching out to touch.
“The truth? I honestly don’t know what we’ll do today. I’ve never been to Lone Tree, and I have no idea what’s there.”
Now he laughed out loud. “What was your first impression of Maverick Junction?”
Thrown off by his change of subject, she hesitated. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
She pulled a face. “There’s not much here. I mean, it has a certain charm. And everybody’s unbelievably friendly.”
“But?”
“But, well, the town’s small. It’s…I don’t know.”
“Well, Tink, when you see Lone Tree, you’re gonna think Maverick Junction’s the big time.”
“You’re kidding.” She stared at him. “You have to be. Tell me you are.”
“Wish I was. You’re probably going to be disappointed in Lone Tree. But not in Maggie’s,” he added quickly. “She’s got herself a first-class operation. It was in the planning stages when my wife was pregnant with our boys. Julia helped her pick the wall colors.” A hint of grief shadowed his eyes.
Nearest Thing to Heaven (Maverick Junction) Page 4
