THE TEXAS RENEGADE REURNS

by Charlene Sands

  Kathy glanced at her flat belly. “I’m guessing you’ve got time to make adjustments.”

  “I do. I’ll be back, I’m sure.”

  Alex took her hand as they exited the store. “Well?”

  “Don’t say I told you so,” Cara said, smiling. “And you had fun, too.”

  “Yes, it was enjoyable. But I only need to be near you to have fun. I will miss you when I’m gone on my trip to California tomorrow.”

  His sweet words battered their way into her heart, while warning alarms grew silent in her head. Alex had been wonderful and supportive lately. He’d been just what she needed. “Oh, Alex.”

  Looking at him now, it was hard to compare the sincere man standing before her to the master of deception he’d once been. Will the real Alex del Toro please stand up?

  Last night, even as he held her, even as he comforted her, she’d tried to guard herself from placing all of her faith in him. Yet, each hour spent with him had her slipping further away from her resolve, softening to his genuine smiles, passionate kisses and Latin charm. She was falling for him again and was hopeless to stop it. Swallowing the rest of her thoughts, Cara clamped her mouth shut. She didn’t want to ruin the good mood by thinking too hard about this.

  Alex studied her face and must have picked up on the tipping point they were reaching. He changed the subject. “All that shopping has made me hungry. Are you ready for a meal?”

  She patted her belly. “Lately, I’m always ready for a meal.”

  His arm circled her waist as he walked her toward his car. “Then the three of us will eat.”

  * * *

  “Are you sure about this?” Alex asked softly, stroking the back of his fingertips over her bare arm as she lay across the smooth sleek sheets on his bed. He loomed over her, one knee on the bed, his shirt crumpled on the floor.

  She gazed at his brown skin glistening under streaming moonlight then lifted her lids to find smoldering dark eyes upon her. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  Earlier in the day, Cara had every intention of going home to Windsor Farms and curling up in bed alone to plot her strategy for the next workday. But then everything changed during her meal with Alex. From the second Cara stepped into the Charles Street Café, a family-style all-American restaurant that touted the best ribs in Maverick County, something uncanny, unexpected and powerful hit her with blistering force.

  Families.

  Lots and lots of them filled the booths. Smiling young faces and cheeks stained with barbecue sauce, parents sneaking in quick bites of their own food as they helped their little ones eat. Bibs, high chairs, joyful chatter, happy, happy faces.

  Everywhere she’d turned, she saw love. She saw it in the eyes of the children. She saw it in the proud faces of parents. She saw it even as siblings bickered over toys and food. She saw it as mommies wiped faces clean, as daddies kissed the tops of children’s heads.

  And Cara wanted a chance at that. She wanted her child to know the love of two parents and to feel secure in that love. She wanted chaotic meals out, and sharing diaper duty and slow drives in the car to get the baby to sleep. She wanted normalcy for her baby. Was it so wrong of her to wish it? Was making love to Alex tonight a step in that direction? She wouldn’t know if she didn’t try.

  She couldn’t deny that she loved him. She’d tried to put him out of her mind, tried to talk herself out of wanting him, tried to give him up. But he was always there, reminding her of what they’d once meant to each other. Reminding her of the good things they’d had together.

  Through all the good and the bad...she’d never stopped holding out hope for them. She’d never stopped feeling the powerful attraction and amazing tugs at her heart for the man who’d swept her off her feet when they’d first met. For the sake of their child and in hopes of making a life with Alex...to be a real family, Cara finally found forgiveness in her heart.

  She gentled her arms around his neck, and he lowered down to meet her lips. Her heart was open now, free to forgive, to forget, to love again. She poured everything she held so dear inside into her kiss and when it was over, Alex pulled back slightly, his lips hovering over hers, his breath warming her face.

  “Cara.” He held her head in both palms, glancing at her, his gaze piercing the depths of her eyes. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Alex.”

  He squeezed his eyes closed as if in silent prayer. Emotions rolled over his face and Cara knew she’d made the right decision in opening up to him.

  “I have waited to hear that from you again.”

  “I know,” she said softly. “I am finding a way to forgive you.”

  “Thank God,” he said, blowing out a whoosh of air.

  Cara stroked his chest, her fingertips gliding over plane-smooth skin. She found beauty in his strength and in the way he looked at her. In the way he held her as if she was precious and treasured. A blade of thick black hair fell to his forehead. She raised her hand to brush it back as his lips smothered her in a mind-blowing kiss.

  Then the bed dipped as Alex lowered down to cradle her into his arms. He pressed his body close, nibbling her throat, moistening her neck with strokes of his tongue. Her breaths came in shorter spurts now and her nerves tingled. It wasn’t a booty call this time. It was real and special. Not about sex, but about intimacy and trust.

  Alex slid his hand to her breast and feathered a soft fingertip caress over the sensitive peak. Cara moaned with pleasure, and he stopped, a hint of worry in his eyes. “Is it painful?”

  She shook her head. “Just the opposite.”

  He took a relieved breath and continued to tenderly caress her, to touch her, to make her body cry out in need of him.

  The rest of their clothes were shed easily and she filled her palms with his broad shoulders, the bulk of his granite chest and solid torso. He was everything she wanted in a man, and tonight they would begin to build their lives anew. Cara whispered, “Yes.”

  And Alex seemed to understand that the joining of their bodies was more than it had ever been before.

  “Yes, sweet Cara.”

  She moved with Alex as one, climbing heights with measured moans and whispered oaths, finding a mirrored rhythm to his passion. He took her soaring and she hovered at the precipice with him, holding on until she couldn’t bear it another second. She let go. And in that very same moment, so did he. She floated down along with him to a place that gently blanketed her happiness.

  She lay in Alex’s arms for long moments, smiling inside and out.

  Only when she heard his soft steady breaths did she, too, close her eyes.

  Her sleep would be peaceful tonight.

  * * *

  Cara stopped by her cottage to shower and dress for the day before she headed to Windsor for a full day of work. Hope she was sure she’d never feel again tethered tight around her as she hummed a catchy baby tune she’d heard at Baby Brilliance yesterday.

  She missed Alex already. His long kiss as a morning farewell had left her wanting more, but maybe it was good that he’d be gone on business for a few days. It gave her time to think. To let the past few days sink into her brain. The whirlwind week had brought a lot of change in her life.

  Maybe some of it would be for the good.

  As she made her way into the rear entrance of the office, Brenden Woo, the chief financial officer of Windsor, was waiting for her by the door. “Good morning, Brenden.”

  “That’s debatable, Cara.” His mouth turned down quickly, and his normally monotone voice seemed agitated. That, more than the expression of gloom on his face, concerned her.

  “That doesn’t sound good,” she said as he ushered her through the door.

  “Let’s talk about it in my office,” he said.

  Brenden was ten years older than she was, a trusted employee and a
man who she’d come to rely on lately. “Okay.”

  They moved through the corridors quickly and when he offered her a seat in his office, she chose to stand. “What is it?”

  “I’m afraid we’re in the midst of a hostile takeover. I just got wind of it early this morning. Some of our major stockholders are nervous about the fate of the company and they’ve been talking with representatives from Del Toro Oil. Since the moment your father was arrested, del Toro has been secretly but aggressively pursuing the company. Some of the shareholders have already sold out.”

  “Oh, no.” Cara’s legs caved from under her, and she slumped into the seat behind her.

  Unable to control her trembling, she gripped the arms of the chair. Acid burned in her stomach as she thought about Alex coming to her rescue the day her father was charged with his crimes. He’d been pretty much by her side every moment for the past few days.

  Distracting her.

  Keeping her busy.

  Making her fall in love with him again.

  Her heart bled with pain. It seeped out to seize her breath and temporarily paralyze her. Alex had to know what his father had been planning. He had to know that Rodrigo wouldn’t give up on his pursuit of Windsor Energy. Everything seemed too neat and tidy, an orchestration of events that had succinctly pulled the wool over her eyes. She choked back a sob, the burn of betrayal leaving her weakened, shaken. How would she ever deal with it? How would she ever recover? “Del Toro is exacting r-revenge for wh-what my father did to his son. To Alex. If he’s taken these steps already, then I’m afraid he plans to destroy Windsor.”

  “This is serious, Cara. He’s bought up over thirty percent of the company.”

  Cara cared about the company, the employees who’d staked their lives on working here. For years, she’d worked side by side with her father. It had never been her dream job, but she was loyal and hardworking and she owed it to the board members and employees to try to save the company.

  After getting the rest of the details from Brenden, she spent the morning working alongside company attorneys and a handful of board members, trying to circle the wagons and protect the fate of the company. She ate her lunch by her desk, taking only teeny bites of chicken salad that went down her throat like cardboard. By the end of the day, all she could think about was curling into a ball in her bed and crying her eyes out.

  Later that evening on the drive home, her cell phone rang. She glanced at Alex’s handsome face popping up on the phone’s screen, reminding her once again of the fool she’d been. No. She wasn’t going to speak to him right now. She’d been right to suspect him all along, and how convenient that he’d chosen this critical time to go out of town. With a quick flip, she shut the ringer off on her phone.

  She entered her cottage, tossing her purse and sweater onto the sofa. On shaky limbs, she made it into the kitchen to grab a glass of cucumber water and swallow her prenatal vitamins. She laid a hand on her belly, feeling the little bump. Oh, God. Her state of constant stress couldn’t be good for her child. She had to hold things together for the baby’s sake. Eating a little something and getting the rest she needed was her game plan tonight.

  Damn you, Alex.

  She grabbed a bowl of leftover vegetable soup from the fridge and heated it up in the microwave. It was the best she could do under the circumstances. As she stood over the kitchen counter and sipped spoonfuls into her mouth, the doorbell chimed, jarring through the lonely silence.

  She jerked back, startled. Her first thought was of Alex. He was supposed to be in California by now. But who knew if that was even true. Her faith had been shattered today. Would he be coming here loaded with excuses? Would he even dare show his face?

  Only a few trusted friends knew the new code to her gated entrance. She was immediately sorry she’d counted Alex among them.

  She walked to the front door equipped with an arsenal of choice curse words she’d stored up all day just for him. How could he do this to her? Did he not care one iota about the baby he’d fathered?

  She stood behind the door, debating whether to open it. “Who is it?”

  “It’s me, Cara. Gabriella.”

  Her friend’s soft voice soothed her wayward thoughts. She was a del Toro, she reminded herself. But she didn’t fault Gabriella her parenthood. Only Alejandro and Rodrigo del Toro had perpetrated the lie that had caused her such trouble and heartache.

  She reached for the door and turned the knob. Gazing into Gabriella’s distressed face broke through her slim defenses. “Oh, Gabriella,” she said.

  Cara rushed into her friend’s open arms and hung on tight to the shelter she offered.

  “I have just heard the news,” Gabriella whispered near her ear. “I am very sorry.”

  “Please, come inside.” Cara showed her into the house and gestured toward the sofa.

  Gabriella wore her hair up today, pinned back to shed light on her flawless brown skin and the dark eyes much like her brother’s. The resemblance had never struck such a chord as it did tonight. “You always seem to know when I need a friend.”

  They sat at opposite ends of the sofa, and Gabriella turned her body to face her. “I hope you still consider me a friend.” She shook her head slightly, her eyes filling with pain. “When Chance came home from the Cattleman’s Club today and told me of the rumors, I worried for you. And for our friendship. You are my friend, Cara, but you may not want me to be yours any longer after learning what my father is planning.”

  “Your father wants to take over my company. He seems to be forcing the issue this week.”

  “Yes, he is a stubborn man.”

  “Alex h-hid his intentions well. He had me f-fooled again.” Cara put her head down. If she looked at Gabriella now, she’d completely fall apart. Her heartache pinpricked every cell in her body. She drew oxygen in and continued. “I believed in him again, Gabriella. I let my guard down and he swooped in and took advantage of my weakness.”

  Gabriella gasped. “Dios, no! Oh, Cara, please do not think Alejandro had anything to do with this.”

  The tone of her friend’s voice brought her head up, and their eyes met.

  “Once, my brother allowed my father to influence him. Yes, that’s true, but Alejandro learned a big lesson and he is not a man who would ever hurt you.”

  “It’s hard for me to ignore the facts. This week especially, we have become closer. We spent a lot of time together. He kept me occupied and preyed on my vulnerability. Today, I learned the truth and he is conveniently not here. It all seemed to fall into a plan.”

  Gabriella’s eyes widened with shock. “No, you must not believe that.” She slid closer to her on the sofa, her fingers reaching out to cover Cara’s hand. “Look at me, Cara. Hear me. My brother has warned my father many times not to pursue this. We both believed his urgings finally set in. I spoke with Alejandro earlier today on the phone. He is in California, as he says. He has had meetings all day, and finally tonight I was able to reach him to tell him what our father has done.”

  “Did he deny knowing anything about it?”

  “After Alejandro cursed in two languages, yes, of course, he said he knew nothing of this. He knows you have suspicions about him still. He has promised to make it right. I would imagine he tried to call you?”

  “Yes, once. I didn’t answer his call.”

  “You didn’t give him a chance to explain?”

  She hadn’t looked at her phone since she’d shut the ringer off. “No.” Her fingers trembled down her cheeks as she shook her head, confused. “I’m afraid to hear what he has to say. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I am afraid to believe him...if that makes any sense to you. I want him to be the man I fell in love with, but I don’t know if that’s possible.”

  Gabriella’s mouth turned down, and sadness darkened her eyes. “My brother is a smart
man. He knows there’s only one way to convince you of his sincerity. He will do what needs to be done, if I know Alejandro.”

  “You have so much faith in him,” Cara said, wishing a piece of her heart would open for him, as well. “But what if he has deceived you, too?”

  “Alejandro would not do that to you or to me. He loves you, Cara. Has he not been trying to prove that to you since his memory returned?”

  It was true. Lately, he’d been wonderful, caring and thoughtful. If she hadn’t already been duped by him once, she would have thought him the perfect man.

  She had thought of him as the perfect man before his deceptions had come out.

  “Yes, if only I can trust in that.”

  “It is not easy, but please try to hold on to that shred and give him a little time. Remember, not too long ago, I made a mistake with trust,” Gabriella said. “I believed the worst about Chance with you, and it almost destroyed our relationship. I understand how hard this is for you, but if you give yourself the freedom to have faith, I know you won’t be disappointed.” She squeezed her hand and glanced at her belly. “Alejandro would not jeopardize his new family. He loves you both so very much.”

  “Thank you, Gabriella. For coming here and talking this through with me. I’ve been torn up inside about Alex. I have some thinking to do.”

  “Yes, but I would suggest you think with your heart. It will lead you in the right direction.”

  Ten

  As the limo driver drove through the gates of Las Cruces, Alex glanced at the sprawling compound filled with stacked-stone archways, beautiful gardens and masonry fountains that rivaled no other in all of Mexico City. This place had been his childhood home, but now, as he sat slumped in his seat, he viewed it as a stranger would, detached from all emotion but for the chilling anger residing deep inside him. He’d flown half the night to get here this morning, thanks to his sister’s call alerting him about the Windsor takeover.

  Would Cara ever believe that he knew nothing of his father’s plan? She would not answer his phone call and somehow that hadn’t surprised him. Cara needed more than his words—she’d need tangible evidence to prove once and for all he was a man she could count on, a man she could love. All the progress he’d made in gaining her faith in him, all his hopes and dreams for their future, might have been wiped clean by his father’s doings yesterday. Alex had owned up to his mistakes from the past, and he’d been trying to make restitution in every way since. Now his head swam with worry for Cara. In the early-morning hours, right before boarding the plane out of Los Angeles, he’d sent her a text message.