“Honestly, I don’t have enough for her to do. Not at this stage anyway. Sometimes I pay her to clean the house, which goes against my grain. I think cleaning up after herself should be a given.”
He glanced at the small semidark house, wondering if it belonged to Bethany or her sister. Somehow that wasn’t where he’d pictured her living. “All right, then, we’ll put her to work. I might even throw in mucking stalls.”
“Do it.” Beth nodded. “Lib had forty hours of community service at Safe Haven. Are you familiar with them?”
“Sure. Good organization. I donate hay every year.”
“The two women who run it told me they’ve seen an improvement in Liberty’s attitude, but she hates mucking stalls. It’s the chore she dreads the most.”
“Everyone does.”
“Then, that’s exactly what you should have her do. So tomorrow?”
Nathan smiled. “Whatever works best for you.”
“She’s lucky you’re so understanding. Anyone else would’ve called the sheriff.” Beth sighed and tapped her head back against the headrest. “I hope I’m doing the right thing. Maybe circumventing the court is letting her off too easy.”
“You care enough to be involved and make tough decisions. That has to matter, especially with only one parent in the picture. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“Oh, I’m not the selfless, loving aunt you might imagine. Another week in that house with those two and I’ll be the one the sheriff picks up.”
“That bad, huh?”
She let out a heartfelt sigh. “I love them. But living with them, I can do without. The house is small and cluttered and, well...let’s just say, as soon as a room is finished at the boardinghouse, I’m moving.”
“You won’t have much space there either.”
“I don’t care. It’ll be clean and quiet. That’s all I need.” She shrugged. “At least for now.”
Until she eventually decided that moving to Blackfoot Falls had been a bad idea. Nathan wondered how long that would take...two months, a year? Though she wasn’t the type to sit back and throw her hands up when things got bumpy. She dug in and searched for solutions. She’d proved that by going after the lumber.
“Oh, and I haven’t said anything to Liberty or Candace about me moving yet, so I’d appreciate you keeping that between us.”
“I won’t say a word.”
“Oh, my God, listen to me...you’re virtually a stranger and here I’m telling you personal stuff.”
“Guess we’ll have to do something about that,” he said, smiling at her confused look. “Have dinner with me tomorrow. You need the R & R, and we can get to know each other.”
“Tomorrow, huh? In Blackfoot Falls?” She seemed surprised, maybe even a little wary.
“I know the timing could’ve been better...” Damn, he hadn’t thought it through. He had every intention of being up front with her, explain that he wasn’t looking for a relationship. But did he tell her now or wait until they were having dinner? Hell, all he wanted was an easy friendship and sex. But how did you bring that up to a woman, even someone as worldly as Bethany?
“The timing?” She tilted her head, her expression puzzled. “Oh, you mean because of Liberty. No, I was thinking about how uncomfortable it might be for you to go on a date around here. Everyone would be all eyes and ears watching you get back in circulation for the first time.”
“Yeah. No. Not Blackfoot Falls.” He had no idea why the word date had distracted him. Probably because he’d been with Anne for so long he hadn’t dated anyone else since high school. In college he’d had sex with other women, but only when he and Anne had called it quits for a while. “Marge’s diner is the only place left since the Wagon Wheel closed.”
Senior year he’d started going out with Anne. She’d still been young and sweet, and he hadn’t pushed for sex. By the middle of the school term she’d assured him she was ready. Sometimes he wondered if losing her virginity to him had been the only thing that bonded them.
“I’m sorry,” Beth said, her fretful voice bringing him back. “I made an assumption and now this is awkward.”
“What assumption?”
“Dinner being a date, you getting back into that scene for the first time. Take your pick.” She hesitated, then found the door handle. “You know what, maybe I’ll see you tomorrow when I drop off Liberty.”
“Beth, wait.” He tried to catch her free hand, missed and gripped her upper arm. “You were right. I was asking you out on a date.” He slid his hand to the back of her neck. Her skin was warm and soft, and he could smell the sweet scent of her body. “Cut me some slack, I’m rusty at this sort of thing.”
“I’m not so great at it either,” she murmured. “Obviously.”
He smiled, not buying it for a second. “How are you at kissing?”
* * *
GOOD THING HE wasn’t waiting for an answer. Startled, at first Beth could only stare. He leaned closer, and she did, too, close enough to feel his breath on her face. He slid his hand from her nape to cup her jaw, his fingers exerting just the right amount of pressure to hold her still and cause something in her stomach to thump.
His lips were soft and firm, moving over hers, in no apparent hurry to do anything more than taste and learn. Her heart began pounding faster when he tested the seam of her lips. She parted them for him and liked that he didn’t rush inside her mouth. His gentle exploration gave her time to get used to what was happening, time to enjoy the warm stroke of his tongue against hers.
He moved his hand from her jaw back to a spot behind her neck. Seconds later she felt the release of her ponytail. His fingers slid into her hair, and slanting his head, he kissed her more deeply, more thoroughly.
A warm, heavy feeling was growing in her tummy and spreading to her breasts. Her nipples had already tightened and she placed a hand on his chest, felt the swell of muscle beneath her palm. His mouth left hers to trail light biting kisses down her throat, around to the side of her neck, then continue back to her lips.
Too late she realized she’d been holding her breath. He slipped his tongue back inside, taking possession of her mouth and stealing what little air she had left.
Pushed to her limit, she drew back, gasping and panting. “You sure aren’t rusty at kissing,” she murmured between gulps of air.
A faint smile curved his mouth. “You okay?”
“I will be.”
He stroked his thumb in one slow motion from her cheek down her throat to the neckline of her shirt, his attention riveted to her hair. It had to be a tangled mess, and yet he picked up a few strands to rub between his thumb and forefinger with an odd, almost obsessive fascination.
“Nathan?”
His gaze flickered to her face.
“We have to stop.”
“I know,” he said, and brushed a kiss at the corner of her mouth.
“I don’t want to.” Silly of her, but she was disappointed that he hadn’t put up a token protest.
His lips moved over hers again, and she completely forgot what she’d been about to say. He didn’t try to use his tongue but moved on to her jaw, continuing to press soft kisses to her ear, the warm touch of his damp mouth on her skin making her turn her face into his shoulder to keep from whimpering.
He stopped suddenly. “Damn.”
She brought her head up, and turned to follow his gaze out the passenger window toward the house.
Liberty had flipped on the porch light.
Beth groaned and quickly pulled away, the heat from his touch swiftly fading. “How long has it been on?”
“Just now.” He caught her wrist and dropped the leather ponytail holder onto her palm. “Sorry I messed up your— Hell, I’m not sorry at all.”
Laughing, she ducked away from his marauding hand. “We have to stop.”
“I just wanted to touch your hair.” He leaned back with a frustrated sigh. “Liberty can’t see us...unless she has night-vision goggles.”
/> “Are you familiar with teenagers? Never underestimate them.”
Beth remade her ponytail, glancing toward the Rockies. They were still visible, mostly the white snowy peaks, but it had gotten quite dark. “How long have we been sitting out here?”
“Half hour, maybe?”
“Wow, really? She’ll probably accuse me of colluding with the enemy.”
“What she’d better do is thank you.” Nathan’s stern tone brought back the gravity of the reason he was here in the first place. “You’re saving her butt from a stiff court sentence. I know Judge Wallace. A kid violating probation and brought before him a third time? He won’t hesitate to lock her up to make her think.”
The full scope of what Nathan had done finally registered. Obviously he hadn’t driven Liberty home as a favor to Beth, because he’d had no idea they were related. But he’d gone out of his way to help a troubled young girl he didn’t know, someone who’d victimized him twice. Beth reached over and squeezed his hand. “No, she has you to thank for giving her another chance. You could’ve easily called the sheriff and saved yourself time and gas.”
He shrugged, his closed expression telling her he wasn’t looking for a pat on the back. “I’ll talk with Woody and tell him what we’ve decided. Once he knows she’s your niece he’ll cool down and let her work off her punishment.”
“Really? Why? He doesn’t know me.” Beth had just lifted the handle, triggering the overhead light to come on.
Nathan grimaced, glaring at her as if she’d committed a grave injustice. “Why did you do that?”
“Open the door?”
“The light... Now she can see us.”
“So...” She saw that he was irritated, but didn’t understand why. “We aren’t doing anything wrong.”
“I was about to.” He shook his head and muttered something to himself. “I wanted to kiss you good-night.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip and pulled the door closed, shutting off the light. “Is it too late?”
“I don’t know. She’s your niece.”
Beth’s gaze rested on his tempting mouth, and she sighed. “I probably have guilt written all over my face as it is. But I’ll take a rain check.”
His slow smile had her pulse fluttering. “You got it.”
“Tomorrow, then. I’ll drop her off after school.” She opened the door and paused. “Will I see you?”
“I’ll be there. We can discuss dinner.”
She nodded, perfectly calm on the outside, but inside she was jumpy again. God, but she wanted that kiss. She wanted to crawl over the console and inhale his musky male scent, find out how it would feel to have his arms wrapped around her.
“Beth?” His voice had lowered seductively.
Oh, she so couldn’t go there again. “How’s Liberty’s artwork? Any good?”
Nathan snorted. “Do me a favor. Ask Woody.”
7
“THIS ISN’T FAIR,” Liberty said the moment they turned onto the gravel road leading to the Lucky 7.
“So you’ve said a dozen times.” Or a hundred. Beth had lost count and her patience was wearing thin. They’d had to wait two days for the paint to be delivered. Then, between a major plumbing problem on her end and sick cattle at the Lucky 7, she hadn’t seen Nathan. But she’d listened to plenty of Liberty’s whining. “Get your feet off the dashboard.”
Liberty hesitated, and then with a disgusted sigh, lowered her combat boots to the floor. Folding her arms across her chest, she glared out the window. “I should’ve been given a choice. Seeing the judge would’ve been better.”
“Really?” Beth stopped the truck in the middle of the road and put it in Park.
From her slumped position, Liberty jerked upright and turned to Beth with wide eyes.
“You want to talk about fair? Do you think I like having to make two round trips out here every day? Or that Mr. Landers wants the disruption of having you there? Frankly, this chance he’s giving you is more than you deserve. So knock off the ‘I shoulda had a choice’ crap. I trusted you, Lib, and you lied to me.”
“That can really was for an art project,” Liberty muttered. “And if you’d let me go back to court like I wanted, you wouldn’t be driving me out here.”
Beth held on to her temper, but barely. “I don’t know why you’re so anxious to face the judge. You’re a three-time offender. If you think you’d get off with a slap on the wrist, you’re dreaming. Mr. Landers agreeing to this arrangement probably saved you from being thrown in juvie.”
Liberty lifted her chin. “Spike told me not to worry—”
“I don’t want to hear about Spike. He’s wrong.” Beth shifted back into Drive but kept her foot on the brake and looked directly into her niece’s eyes. “Do you trust me, Lib? Do you believe that I love you and have only your best interests at heart?”
The girl’s sulky expression eased, and she nodded.
“Do you think the same is true of Spike?”
Liberty squirmed, hunching her shoulders. “I don’t know...” she mumbled. “I haven’t known him that long.”
“Maybe he does care for you,” Beth said gently, not believing it for a second. “But you already know I’m a sure bet. Can’t go wrong with me, right?”
Liberty smiled a little. “You’re blocking the road.”
Beth glanced up ahead, then in the rearview. No one was coming. “Okay, Tootsie Roll, let’s hit it.”
“You’re not supposed to call me that. I’m not a kid anymore.”
“Oops, you’re right. I’ll have to think of a new name.”
“Oh, no.” Liberty groaned, but her mood had improved. “Can you please just drive? I want to get this over with.”
Smiling to herself, Beth released the brake. “I could shorten it to Tootsie.”
“What happened to having my best interests at heart?” Liberty muttered, and Beth laughed.
A few minutes later the Lucky 7 came into view. She drove under the wrought iron sign arching over the entrance and parked the truck in the same spot as the first day she’d met Nathan. Knowing she was going to see him sent a little jolt of pleasure zinging through her. She had to really watch herself. Liberty had peppered Beth with questions about what they’d been doing in the truck. Like a good aunt, she’d copped to half the truth.
Beth climbed out and saw Woody with a young cowboy watching several horses mill about between two adjoining corrals. He lifted a hand in greeting and gave her a sign she interpreted to mean he’d be with them shortly. Liberty took her sweet time getting out of the truck, and when Beth saw that she was texting, it required all of her willpower not to pluck the phone from her hand and drop it in the nearest well.
“Turn it off.”
The girl looked up, her eyes narrowed in disbelief. “Why?”
“You don’t need the distraction.”
“I’m not turning off my phone,” Liberty said, shaking her head and finishing her text. “I can’t.”
“You heard your aunt.”
Beth recognized Nathan’s deep rumbling voice and turned around. He hadn’t been there a minute ago.... Her pulse skipped at the sight of him in dark blue jeans and a Western-style tan shirt.
Liberty scowled at him. “I’ll put it on silent.”
“This isn’t a negotiation,” Nathan said, his tone calm but firm. “You either turn off the phone or hand it over to your aunt to be returned when she sees fit.”
Liberty snorted. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“Lib.” Beth tugged at her niece’s sleeve. “Don’t.”
“My ranch, my rules.” Nathan stood with his arms crossed, his gaze trained on Liberty and looking much like a man whose authority was never questioned. “What’s it going to be?”
Defiance flashed in her face, and then she sighed. “I’ll turn it off,” she mumbled.
Woody joined them just as Beth said, “And it stays off until I pick you up.”
“What?” Liberty’s voice rose in indignation,
her gaze sweeping from the two men and landing on Beth. “Why can’t I use it while I’m waiting for you?”
Woody chuckled. “Don’t you worry...we have plenty of work. You won’t have time to be standing around waiting.” He nodded to Beth. “I’ll take over from here.”
“Thank you, Woody. I appreciate this so much. We both do,” she said, and gave her niece a pointed look. “In fact, Liberty has something she’d like to say to both of you.”
She locked gazes with Beth for a moment, her mutinous expression fading to defeat. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused,” she murmured, staring down at her feet. “Thank you for letting me make it up to you.”
Woody started chuckling again, and Beth saw Nathan give him a silent warning.
The older man pretended to clear his throat. “Well, come on, kid,” he said, motioning for her to follow him. “I ain’t got all day.”
“I’m not a kid, and my name is Liberty.”
“Fine,” Woody muttered, moving at a pace that forced the girl to speed up. “You can call me sir.”
“That is so uncool.”
“Tough.”
As their voices began to fade, Beth turned to Nathan. He was watching her. Not smiling, not even blinking. He just stared, and that flustered her.
“I hope you have a few minutes,” she said, her tone all business. “I need to pay you for the paint and supplies.”
Amusement flickered in his dark eyes. “Let’s go to my office.”
“Lead the way,” she said, and was confused when he started toward the house. She couldn’t say why she assumed he worked out of one of the auxiliary buildings. Or explain her sudden reluctance to follow him. A few days earlier she would’ve given anything for a peek inside.
Neither of them said a word until they arrived at the small courtyard. Beth noticed a pair of wooden benches that had been hidden from her view the other day. Carefully trimmed grass exposed embedded flagstones that led to the side of the house, and a small tree shaded the sitting area. The rose bushes were now dormant, but she could see the faded remnants of pink blooms.
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