“Icing my wrists right now. I’m sure he didn’t mean to…” She paused, really thinking through what had happened, replaying it in her mind. “I’m sure he’d had too much to drink and didn’t know his own strength.”
“Still, he shouldn’t have—”
“I know. Let’s just not blow it out of proportion, okay? I’m fine. Nothing happened.” Lacey felt a chill race up her spine at what might have happened. But, she’d been in a public place, right?
“So, what about the auction?” Kandy asked.
“He knows the rehearsal is Thursday night. I guess I'll wait and see if he shows. But maybe I should leave a message at the club to tell him not to come. What do you—” Lacey paused as she listened to a muffled voice in the background as though Kandy had put her hand over the receiver. “Kandy?”
“Sorry. I'm here. Luke's here too,” she whispered. “Now I really feel bad about deserting you—how did you get home, anyway?”
“Jared.”
“Huh. Interesting.”
“Kandy…”
“Luke says he's a good guy, by the way. Really nice about filling in and all.”
“He's not my…type.” Lacey yawned loudly, hoping Kandy would get the hint. “And right now I'm only interested in Mr. Sandman. You two have fun. I'll see you Monday, Kandy. Thanks for calling.”
“Anytime, boss.”
Lacey listened to the soft click of the phone. At least one of us is lucky in love, she thought, stifling a real yawn this time. She’d been lucky, too, that Jared had been right there ready to rescue her.
Too bad. If she had the power to rewind the last week, knowing what she knew now, well, maybe things could be different.
No, even though Jared was single, he wasn’t what she needed or wanted in her life. Now or ever. He was just a nice guy, and she needed to leave it at that.
Her wrists no longer throbbing and her mind feeling more at ease now that she’d decided it was all just a big misunderstanding—that Hank probably had no idea he’d even hurt her—Lacey put the peas back in the freezer, then slipped out of her newly christened “unlucky dress” and crawled between cool sheets. She would worry about Hank and the auction some other time.
Chapter Six
“What are you doing here?”
“I was worried about you.” Jared's voice sounded velvety and far away, so soft and soothing.
She stared into eyes the color of clouds gathering before a spring storm. In their smoldering depths she saw a blatant invitation. She reached up to run her fingers through his hair, hair the color of chocolate. His left eyebrow rose a fraction and he gave her a smile that sent her pulse racing.
A summer breeze fluttered gossamer curtains and candlelight flickered. A romantic glow bathed the room.
“Turn over and let me rub your back. You look tense,” he whispered.
Lacey found it impossible not to return his disarming smile, then quickly heeded his request, repositioning herself on her stomach. She wrapped her hair in a quick knot at the top of her head.
Lemons. She smelled lemons.
“I'll warm the lotion a little for you.”
Next, she heard the sound of his hands rubbing together—slick, slippery sounds. Murmuring her thanks, she moved her arms to her sides as he readjusted the sheet to drape at her waist. Soon all she felt were his hands, slick with lotion, sliding in even, languid strokes up her spine and down her arms. He kneaded her shoulders and neck until she groaned with pleasure.
“That's better, isn't it?”
She didn't respond at once; her tongue felt thick. She searched for words. “Your hands are amazing.”
He continued with steady, gentle strokes until every patch of skin above her waist tingled with delight. Gently he pulled the sheet down, down, down. His intimate touch moved to rub her thighs. Then her calves.
“Your curves are beautiful,” he whispered.
Quivering warmth began to pool between her thighs and her thoughts became one wish: that he would touch her…there.
As if he could read her thoughts, Lacey felt the whisper of a touch between her thighs, and when Jared's hands spread her legs further apart, she didn't resist.
“So soft, so sweet,” he whispered.
She felt a dizzying tingle that quickly escalated. Suddenly she was soaring, riding lovely spasms, rejoicing at the attainment of her wishes.
Lacey's eyes flew open.
“Wait!” she called to the dark. Her blood throbbed in her veins as she suddenly remembered the intimacy of her dream, her legs still quivering from her dream-climax. She closed her eyes, wanting to return to the dream…to him.
Lacey tossed and turned the rest of the night, finally giving up on the idea of sleeping in when the first light of day filled her bedroom. Feeling a strange combination of frustration and satisfaction, she got up, showered, and made herself a huge breakfast. She indulged in a veggie scramble, steamed potatoes, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a full pot of Kona coffee.
“There's enough here for two men and a boy,” she said to herself as she dished up the food. She'd always found it difficult to cook for one, her refrigerator perpetually filled with plastic containers of dibs and dabs of leftovers.
Determined to forget her Saturday night experience at the club and her sexy dream, Lacey filled her day with favorite old movies, buttered popcorn, and chatty phone calls to friends and relatives.
That night she slept a restful, dreamless sleep, and by the next morning she felt like she was back on track.
***
In the stockroom of the salon, Lacey and Kandy sorted dozens of bottles of hair color and retail products that had just arrived. A thankful, mindless task to fill the rest of the afternoon, she thought. Perfect.
The auction rehearsal was in two hours and she still had no idea if Hank would be there. Time would tell. Since her hostile altercation with him, she hadn't been back to the Rockin' Ranch or called, and he had made no attempt to contact her. Part of her was immensely grateful, preferring to face the auction committee than to be in the same room with him again.
And even though she had stopped blaming herself, part of her wanted desperately to learn from what had happened, so she had continued to force herself to analyze her actions, her goal to determine how it could have been prevented. Another part of her wished she could just forget about it.
“I need music.” Lacey reached past Kandy to switch on a portable CD player she'd bought for the salon. She didn't want to talk about Hank anymore, didn't want to think about him anymore. She knew thinking about it would darken her mood, and even if she had lost all enthusiasm for the Bachelor Auction, she really didn't want to spoil it for Kandy. She and her cowboy were doing just fine.
Kandy bounced to the oldies music and they silently worked their way through the cartons of inventory. When the music paused for an hourly news break, Lacey reached to change the station.
“Breaking news…at a local country music hot spot called the Rockin' Ranch—”
Lacey's hand stopped in midair.
“—local resident, Hank Erickson, was arrested without incident for suspected credit card fraud. A part-time employee at the club, he allegedly used customer's credit card accounts to purchase a three-day cruise to Ensenada, as well as fund a shopping spree at a men's store at a nearby mall. Now, here's Dave with the weekend forecast…”
Lacey snapped off the radio.
“So what if we're short one cowboy,” Kandy said. “They’ll get over it, right?”
Lacey felt the weight of the world lift from her shoulders. It was always easier dealing with a known versus an unknown. Now she knew Hank would not be at the rehearsal and hopefully there wouldn't be too much hassle if the event was minus one cowboy bachelor.
***
“I'm your sister, Jared, talk to me.”
Jo glared at him from across the kitchen table, her voice calm but insistent. His sister was known more for her tendency to bulldoze her way through life than f
or her ability to “wait patiently and see,” and he knew she wouldn’t give up.
“Jared, I know you better than you know yourself. Something's eating at you. The last time I saw you like this you were deciding whether or not to propose marriage to that—”
Jared's scowl stopped his sister from finishing the sentence. He watched as her eyes widened.
“Okay, fess up. Who is she?”
“Why do you assume it's about a woman?
“It is, isn't it?” Joann's face brightened with a huge grin. “Okay, let me see. Someone at that club? Waitress? Fan?”
“Stop it. Can you be serious?”
Joann nodded, her grin disappearing instantly. “Jared, just tell me about it. We can do this, you know. Talk. People do it all the time.”
“I'm sorry Jo. I'm just not used to feeling like this.”
“Like what?”
Jared closed his eyes for a moment, then stared out the window to avoid his sister's scrutiny. “At the club, I met the woman who cut Jamie's hair.”
“You met Lacey? Really? This is getting interesting already—paths crossing paths, and all. She sure had Jamie wrapped around her little finger that day.”
Jared sighed. Why was it so hard to just talk about it? He proceeded with his explanation, choosing his words carefully. He knew his sister was right, the whole business of Lacey and Hank was consuming him. “She was interested in this jerk from the club. I found out she’d asked him to be in some charity bachelor auction at the mall where she works and I decided to warn her about him and—”
“—she's a little pissed at you for interfering, I’m guessing?”
“Maybe.” Jared nodded. Maybe it’s a girl-thing, he thought. “The kicker is, I don't understand why I had to… I don’t want to be interested in her, Jo. I like things just the way they are, but—”
“Things could be better.”
He glared his response.
“Think about it. Wouldn’t it be great for Jamaica to have a woman around—at least a role model other than her wonderful auntie, you know. What's wrong with at least entertaining the idea? What are you afraid of?”
“Jamie and I are doing fine.”
“Yes, you are. So, I’m wondering what exactly is the real problem?” She paused, seemingly lost in thought. “There's more, isn't there?”
“I drove her home the other night and we left things a little awkward.”
“So, go apologize.”
“But I didn't do anything—”
“Doesn't matter. If something's bothering you, it sounds like you at least need to clear the air. You don't have to show up with flowers or anything—just go to the mall and buy her a cup of coffee. Talk. Make nice.”
Jared groaned. She was right. More than anything he hated the lingering feeling of unresolved conflict and he'd vowed to never live like that again. His marriage had been one unresolved conflict after another and if he hadn't learned anything else, he'd learned that.
“Look, little brother, I'll stay with Jamaica and you go down the mountain and get it over with. You might as well,” she teased, “because you're going to stew about it anyway. Go on…”
Jared's chair scraped loudly against the wood floor as he pushed himself away from the table. He leaned down to plant a kiss on his sister's cheek before he strolled out the door. He hated when she was right, but had to admit he was starting to feel better already.
He should go and make sure she was all right. Just be friendly. Make sure Hank was no longer a problem in her life. Made perfect sense.
***
Lacey's head was bowed over a stack of client receipts as she added the week's totals a third time. The computer system was down…again…due to trouble with the latest supposed software upgrade, and she had resorted to paper receipts, which was a pain in the neck. Why am I having so much trouble? She glanced at the clock—still an hour before closing time.
After the last two clients of the evening had canceled, she had generously let everyone else go home a little early figuring she could handle whoever walked through the door. Foot traffic in the mall was slow tonight, and it didn't look like there would be a last-minute Friday night walk-in after all.
Consciously she slowed down her fingers, preventing them from flying over the keys of the calculator. She felt uneasy, distracted.
The bachelor auction rehearsal had gone well the night before and Luke had been a hit, all decked out in a dazzling rodeo-style shirt, tight jeans and black boots. His rugged good looks had drawn several young women closer and Kandy had stuck to him like glue the entire evening. The mall marketing director had listened sympathetically to Lacey’s manufactured tale of woe about her missing cowboy—though she had very strongly implied she really wished Lacey would try to find a last minute replacement. Lacey had winced, then smiled and said she’d try, even knowing the odds were astronomical against it. Well, impossible was more accurate.
She sucked in her cheeks, nervously chewing them as she pressed the total key one more time. Balanced at last.
Last minute replacement? What am I supposed to do, ask the next male customer who walks in the door if he’ll put on a cowboy hat and call it good?
***
“Hi, Lacey.”
He saw her jump—startled at his voice, he realized—then she looked up at him.
He had quietly walked into the reception area of the hair salon a couple minutes ago and stood watching Lacey’s bowed head while she worked, her hair a silky brown curtain on either side of her face.
What was it about her hair that so fascinated him?
He gazed back at her as her furrowed brow relaxed and her face slowly broke into a slight smile, almost as though he’d caught her thinking about something she shouldn’t have been thinking.
“Sorry if I interrupted you,” he began, “but I wondered if we could just talk for a minute.”
“About what?” Her brow furrowed again.
Jared swallowed hard. “I wanted to…apologize if I offended you the other night when I dropped you off at your place. It's really none of my business…it’s just that Hank—”
“Hank's in jail,” she interrupted.
Jared’s brain froze in mid-thought. Jail?
“And, well, you have nothing to apologize for, Jared. I’ve decided to look at what happened as a gift, actually—something to learn from, like you said. So, no harm, no foul, right?”
Her voice still held a slight tinge of embarrassment, but, at least at first glance, to him it appeared as though she’d recovered emotionally and—he glanced down at her wrists—physically. She was a strong one, he reminded himself.
“What about the auction?” he asked. “He was supposed to be in it, right?”
“Missing one cowboy.” She shrugged one shoulder. But in her eyes he swore he saw…what?…disappointment, maybe? Guilt?
He felt his conscience tugging at him. He needed to finish what he’d started, do what he came to do, regardless of how in control Lacey looked. If he didn’t, well, he would go home with Jo’s thoughts nagging him along with his own.
“Look,” he began, “I just wanted to say that I think you might want to take time to know someone before you make all kinds of assumptions about them.”
“Are you talking about Hank or you?” she asked, tipping her head to one side.
There were definitely more questions simmering in her pretty hazel-green eyes.
Truth be told, he didn’t really know what he was trying to say, except that, like Jo had said, he had a feeling he needed to clear the air. Exactly how eluded him. Regardless, though, it didn’t feel like it was going well. And he had no idea why.
Then he watched her expression soften. “Jared, I'm sorry. I'm just feeling mad and disappointed. And I really don’t like not keeping a commitment. I promised two cowboys for the auction and Luke will be there, of course, but I hate not being able to keep a promise, you know?”
Jared nodded. Okay, maybe they were finally getting somewhere.<
br />
“And,” she continued, “well, I'm just stubborn enough to wish you weren't absolutely right about taking time to really know someone before…”
The sound of giggling interrupted them and he watched Lacey's demeanor change from friendly to professional. “Excuse me, it looks like I have some business.”
Jared glanced back at two teenage girls who huddled in the doorway behind him.
“Thanks for stopping by, Jared. Really. It was very sweet of you.” She smiled, then whispered, “I’m fine.”
Jared nodded and left the salon, retracing his steps back to his truck, breathing in the cool evening air as though he couldn't quite get enough oxygen in his lungs. He felt better having talked with Lacey, but not as though they’d resolved anything, not really. Well, maybe a little, he decided. So why was he feeling so unsettled still?
I'm way too old for this.
He shook his head, more than a little annoyed at the tightness in his jeans. How could he be so attracted to someone he couldn't even have a normal conversation with?
***
“So, you chickened out. I can tell by the look on your face,” Joann whispered harshly as she met Jared at the door, her fingers to her lips to quiet him. “I finally got Jamie to settle down after the third time reading “Cinderella.”
“It's her current favorite,” he whispered back, closing the door quietly behind him.
“You're home much too early.” This time her voice was gentle, with a degree of disappointment.
“Jo, I think it's time for you to stop being so darned helpful.”
Her eyes narrowed a little and she bit her lip as though preventing herself from commenting further. Then she let out a little frustrated sigh. “Don't forget that Jamie and I are still on for the weekend. I'll pick her up in the morning.” Her gaze softened. “One thing I will say. You're a good daddy to that little angel.”
COWBOY FOR SALE--A Second-Chances Spicy Romance Page 7
