by Helen Lacey
And what would Liz make of her behavior the night before? The comfort and safety she’d felt in Grady’s arms was unlike anything she’d known before. And it terrified her.
“Marissa?”
Aunt Violet’s voice pulled her thoughts back to the present. “I’ll ask Grady when I can bring them for another visit. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
Violet nodded. “Such a tragedy what happened to him and those girls. But he’s done a good job raising them alone. Although Colleen Parker thinks he should look at settling down again. Those girls need a mother and—”
“Some single parents do just fine,” Marissa said quickly, somehow defending Grady even though it wasn’t her intention. “I didn’t have a father, and Mom and I managed okay.”
Violet offered a gentle smile. “Yes, Janie did her best. She worked at the salon and put a roof over your head. She lost her parents when she was young and I don’t think she ever fully recovered. I tried, of course, much like I did with you.” Her aunt’s eyes shimmered. “But you were an easier child to deal with...not so headstrong and obstinate. Your mother had a way of finding trouble.”
“Like when she got pregnant with me at seventeen?”
Violet shrugged. “To her credit, she was determined to raise you herself. And she would have, I’m sure, if she hadn’t got sick. In a way it was better that she went quickly.”
Janie Ellis was struck down with pancreatic cancer at barely twenty-nine and fought the illness for seven long months before she passed away. “Yes, I suppose. But I would have liked more time to say goodbye. To ask questions.”
One question. Who is my father? Her mother never spoke of him. And Aunt Violet said she didn’t know anything other than he was a drifter, a weekend cowboy passing through town. Over the years Marissa had learned to be content with that answer. But some days she ached to know the truth.
She stayed for another ten minutes and then headed off. She drove to the supermarket and did some shopping, and it was just past two o’clock when she arrived home.
Grady’s pickup was parked outside and she figured Rex was already around the back. Marissa grabbed the groceries and headed up the path and onto the porch. She placed the bags on the old swinging love seat and walked around the house. And stopped in her tracks.
Sure enough, Rex was there. But so was Grady. Stripped down to jeans and a white tank shirt that emphasized every contour of his chest. He was standing at one end of the old wagon wheel, levering it with an iron bar, while Rex stayed on the other side and pushed against the wheel. She rested her hand on the railing and felt something soft against her palm. She looked down. Grady’s shirt. She fingered the fabric for a moment and let out a soft sigh. It was late summer and a warm day, which explained why he had discarded his shirt. Marissa watched for a moment, riveted by the way his arms flexed and moved and the soft sheen of perspiration on his skin. It took a moment before both men realized they were being observed. Grady stopped what he was doing and turned, resting one elbow on the old wagon wheel.
“Afternoon, ma’am.”
It was Rex who spoke. But it was Grady who had her attention. Last night she’d been tempted to kiss this man...and that attraction—as unwanted and out of the question as it was—had not diluted itself overnight.
“What are you doing here?” she asked from her spot on the porch.
Grady wagged a thumb at the broken wagon wheel. “This is a two-man job.”
She tried to look grateful but couldn’t. And Grady wasn’t fooled. There was an intensity in his stare that unnerved her. And he knew it.
“Oh, okay. Well...thanks.”
She glanced at Rex and saw how keenly he watched their interaction. Clearly he wasn’t fooled, either. She hurried back to the front of the house, grabbed the grocery bags and headed inside. Once the groceries were put away, she poured iced tea, adding way too much sugar to one because she knew Grady liked it that way, and measured half the amount for Rex. By the time she returned outside with the drinks, they had the old wheel and attached axle almost out of the ground.
They stopped what they were doing and took the tumblers she offered. Marissa kept her gaze away from the broad expanse of Grady’s chest. It didn’t bear thinking about. Not if she wanted to keep her head.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Rex spoke again, looking appreciative, and Marissa smiled. The older man smiled back and she was warmed by his quiet kindness. There was something about the cowboy that she liked, and she remembered her aunt’s scowl when they’d talked about him. It was strange, as Aunt Violet seemed to like everyone. But not this man, obviously.
“How’s your aunt doin’?” Rex asked, as though reading her thoughts.
Marissa nodded. “Very well,” she replied and glanced toward Grady. “She wants to know when I can take the girls to see her again.”
Grady passed her the empty glass and their fingertips collided. Her skin burned and she gripped the glass tightly.
“Anytime,” he replied and pulled a red bandanna from his back pocket.
“Speaking of the girls, where are they today?”
“Breanna and Milly are in school and my cousin Brooke is watching Tina for an hour.”
Marissa had gone to school with Brooke Laughton and knew her reasonably well, even though the other woman had been two grades behind her. Brooke owned a small ranch out of town and was a renowned horsewoman.
She watched as he wiped his face and throat with the cloth. Everything he did had a seductive quality. “Great,” she said and took the other glass from Rex. “Thank you both for doing this.”
Grady tilted his hat, nodded and got back to work.
Marissa took off as if her heels were on fire. She stayed inside and rearranged one of kitchen cupboards. When that was done, she washed the dishes and cranked up the coffee machine. Grady tapped on the back doorjamb about twenty minutes later and she jumped a little and then turned.
“All done,” he said and took off his hat. “We dragged it around to the other side of the fence.”
Marissa managed a small smile. “Ah...thank you.”
He glanced around the room. “Anything else need doing?”
She shook her head. “No. Thanks again.”
Grady remained where he was. “Everything all right, Marissa?”
No...
“Of course.”
His mouth turned up at the edges. “You seem a little tense.”
She was tense. And they both knew why. She was pretty sure Grady was remembering their almost kiss just as she was.
“I’m fine,” she lied. “How’s your brother?”
“Better,” he replied. “They discharged him this morning.”
She nodded. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“So...Saturday morning?” His brows came up. “Come to the ranch around eight o’clock.”
“For what?”
“You said you wanted to learn to ride.”
Marissa frowned a little. “I thought I was to learn on Ebony.”
“Not the first lesson. You’ll be safer in the corral. So, eight o’clock.”
She nodded. “Sure. See you then.” He turned and walked toward the door and was about to disappear when she called his name. “Thanks again, Grady. For helping Rex move the wagon wheel.”
He stilled and turned back. “No problem. You’re gathering quite the fan club—first the girls and my mom, now Rex.”
She shrugged as casually as she could. “I guess I have a certain kind of charm.”
His gaze bored into hers. “Yeah,” he said, sounding as if the confession was almost against his will. “You certainly do.”
Then he was gone.
* * *
On Saturday morning Marissa dressed in her new riding breeches and belt, hot-pin
k plaid shirt and sparkly cowboy boots she bought from the shoe store in town. The last pair like them, she was told by the clerk in the shop. They were flashy, but Marissa felt she needed a little flashy in her life. She arrived at the Parker ranch at three minutes to eight. Grady was by the main corral, wearing his usual jeans and chambray shirt. Breanna and Milly were chasing one of the dogs around the yard and she spotted Tina in a shaded play area by the stable door. The older girls raced up and hugged her and Marissa held a hand of each as they walked her toward the corral.
Grady looked her over and stopped when he got to her feet. “Interesting boots.”
The diamantes on the side of her bright pink boots shimmered in the morning sunlight. “You said to get boots. So I got boots.”
“You know that Ron’s been trying to palm off the last pair for nearly two years,” he said about the owner of the shoe store. “The tourists seemed to like them.”
“I’m not a tourist,” Marissa reminded him and smiled extra sweetly. “I’m a local. And luckily I scored the last pair.”
“Yeah...that’s close to two hundred bucks’ worth of luck right there.”
“We love them, Daddy!” Milly exclaimed with her usual excitement. “And we want boots just like Marissa’s.”
He groaned and grinned. “See what you’ve done? Now I’ll be online shopping for tiny pink cowboy boots.”
She laughed. “Enough about the boots. You promised me a riding lesson.”
Five minutes later she was in the saddle. Grady’s horse, a mellow-natured paint gelding called Solo, walked easily around the corral under Grady’s instruction. Marissa relaxed, grabbed the reins and allowed her body to move with the rhythm of the animal. She spent thirty minutes learning about legs and heels and balance and how to feel the horse through her thighs and seat and then through the reins and the bit. Grady was a patient and calm instructor and she felt completely safe as she walked and then trotted around the corral. The girls encouraged her from the sidelines and at some point Rex joined in.
She had fun. More fun than she’d had in ages. The lesson lasted about forty-five minutes and when she was done Grady stood closely behind her as she propped her right leg over the back of the saddle and swung herself to the ground.
“That was fabulous,” she said and patted the gelding on the neck. “I can’t wait to start riding Ebony.”
“You’re something of a natural,” Grady said with a grin as he took the reins. “But you’re not done yet. You have to untack him and brush him down.”
“Oh, okay.”
The girls were back playing chase with the dog and Rex had hauled a now-wailing Tina from her play area and was walking her around the yard. Grady led the horse from the corral and through to the stables. The stall was small and clean and covered with a bed of thick straw. He tied the gelding to a hitching ring and instructed her to stand by the horse.
“Unclip this,” he said and pointed to the breastplate. “And then this,” he said about the girth strap. “Then slide the saddle gently over his back.”
Marissa did as he asked and finally slid the saddle and blanket off. He took the gear and balanced it on the top of the stall door. Then he grabbed a brush from a bucket by the door.
“Now take this,” he said and placed the brush in her hand. “Don’t be afraid to use it. Start at the neck and work downward, along the grain of the coat. Avoid the face and legs and pay particular attention to the girth and just below the withers.”
Marissa fumbled with the brush and managed a few short movements. How could she possibly concentrate when Grady was watching her so intently?
“No,” he said quietly, coming closer. “Like this.”
He stood behind her, his hand over hers, holding the brush, smoothing the coat down in long strokes. His arm brushed against hers, his chest moved against her back. Marissa stilled, unable to move, willing life into her limbs but unable to garner any. The only movement was their hands and arms, traveling down over and over, in perfect unison.
“See,” he said, his voice warm and seductive. “Just like this. Long, firm strokes.”
Heat rose up between them, circling, teasing...making her long to step back, to get closer and to feel his arms around her. Her skin was on fire. Her breath felt as if it would form flame. And she felt so wired, so aroused, it was frighteningly heady.
“Marissa,” he said close to her ear, his breath warm and intoxicating. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”
“I don’t—”
“I almost kissed you the other night,” he admitted, his voice raw.
“I know,” she whispered.
“I wanted to,” he rasped, so close, so softly. “I wanted to so much I ache thinking about it.”
She swallowed hard. “I...I wanted it, too.”
He moaned softly. “You’re killing me, you know that?”
There was anguish in his voice. Anguish and desire. The kind of churning emotions that should have made her run like the wind. But she didn’t. Instead, she wanted to turn around. She wanted to press herself against him and be kissed over and over. She wanted to fall down into the bed of straw and make love with him. Over and over. Again and again. Her sex-starved, love-starved body suddenly needed him as she needed air to breathe.
But a sound, like someone clearing his throat, quickly pushed them apart.
It was Rex, holding a subdued Tina. He stood by the door and was uncharacteristically glaring at Grady. Marissa took a couple of steps sideways and breathed deeply. The last thing she wanted was to be caught almost making out with Grady in the stables. Particularly when his daughters and foreman were nearby.
“Boss,” Rex said stiffly, “I think this little lady needs changing.”
Marissa was grateful for the reprieve. “I’ll do it,” she said and walked toward the toddler before Grady could respond. Tina outstretched her arms and happily enfolded herself in the embrace. Marissa glanced toward Rex, and the older man’s gaze was one of deep concern. It made her feel instantly ashamed. What must Rex think? She wasn’t sure why, but his opinion mattered to her. Then Marissa left the stables as swiftly as she could.
Determined to get all thoughts of Grady out of her head.
And failed, big-time.
Chapter Six
Grady hadn’t expected a lecture from his foreman. But as soon as Marissa had disappeared from sight, he got one, regardless.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doin’?”
Grady scowled and closed the stable door. “Your point?”
“She’s a nice girl. I don’t think she should be messed with.”
“Messed with?” Grady stopped midstride and stared at the other man. “You’re serious? We’re actually gonna have this conversation?”
Rex shrugged. “Needs to be said.”
Grady took a deep, irritated breath. “Nothing’s going on between me and Marissa,” he said quietly. “But if there was, it would be no one’s business but ours.”
“Didn’t look like nothin’,” Rex said and slid the saddle off the door. “It looked like somethin’.”
“It’s nothing,” he said again, firmer this time.
But he knew Rex was right. There was something going on. Something he had to get control of...and fast.
“Keep the girls occupied, will you?” he asked.
Rex gave a wary nod. “Sure.”
By the time he reached the house, Grady’s chest had stopped pounding. Until he saw Marissa again. She was in the living room, by the fireplace, staring at the family photographs on the mantel. She looked so effortlessly beautiful in her jeans and ridiculous pink boots. Back in Solo’s stall he’d been so close to kissing her. So close to hauling her into his arms and giving in to the desire churning through his blood.
“We nee
d to talk.”
Marissa turned slowly and met his gaze. “What about?”
She knew exactly. Grady glanced around the room. “Where’s Tina?”
“Down for a nap,” she replied and walked to the love seat by the window. She sat down and crossed her legs. “So, talk.”
Grady moved across the room and rested his hands on the back of the sofa. “There’s something happening here,” he said quietly. “Something I don’t think either of us expected.”
She didn’t deny it. In fact, she looked relieved that he’d said the words. But she didn’t look happy. Her mouth was compressed into a thin line and her shoulders were tightly bunched.
“Okay—something’s happening. It’s not worth overthinking it, though,” she said after a moment, tossing her hair in that way that got his attention. “It is what it is.”
“And what’s that?”
She shrugged lightly. “Well...I guess it’s sex.”
Sex...
So simple. When it felt more complicated than ever. There was color in her cheeks and she was breathing hard. She was trying to stay in control. But Grady wasn’t fooled. He knew her. He knew by the way she jutted her chin and held her shoulders tight that she was as caught up as he was. As conflicted as he was. As tormented as he was. “And?”
She shrugged again. “And we’ve been spending time together this week and at the moment we’re both...alone. It’s not rocket science, Grady. It’s purely a chemical reaction. Just hormones. It’s like when Earl got into my yard last week looking for Aunt Violet’s cow.”
He laughed. “Really? Is that how you see me, Marissa, as some kind of rutting bull?”
She gasped a little. “No, of course not. I only meant that—”
“We’re no better than animals in heat?”
“You’re twisting my words,” she said as she got to her feet and scowled. “I was simply trying to explain—”
“How’s this for an explanation,” Grady said, cutting her off. “Last night I wanted to kiss you. Twenty minutes ago I wanted to kiss you. And right now,” he said as he came around the sofa, “I want to kiss you.”
