Oh well, she didn’t have time to worry about that now, she had to get Maureen and the others to sign on the dotted line. She needed that deposit and about a hundred others just like it.
CHAPTER FOUR
As the plane landed, Kit stared out the window. She hadn’t planned to ever return to Texas. When her dad died, she’d transferred from A&M to Kansas State to finish her degree in agriculture business. The reason she’d come to Texas in the first place was because the college at Bryan was one of the best in the nation for anything agriculture related. She didn’t regret the time spent there. Because of her involvement in college rodeo, she’d discovered her calling. She’d loved team roping and raising horses trained specifically for that task was the next best thing.
In fact, she’d loved every aspect of the rodeo from the crowds, the animals, the lights—until the night Rogue’s scathing comments had been broadcast to everyone who was anyone in the organization. Even if her father hadn’t died, she probably would have quit. She could still remember the pitying glances she’d received, the titters, the snide comments. It was sad a woman’s confidence was tied so closely with her looks. No matter what she had to offer, how good she was at what she did – people, especially men, were seldom able to see beyond their physical appearance to any worth they might possess.
Up to that point, Kit had dated rarely and had never shared more than a few chaste kisses with a man. And because of Rogue, she’d shunned contact with men since then. There were a couple of good ole’ boys in Red Creek who’d asked her out, but she’d had no problem resisting. They were pale substitutes for a man like Rogue and even though what they’d shared had been a joke, an embarrassing episode that she should attempt to erase from her memory – she couldn’t. He had ruined her for any other man in more ways than one.
And now here she was – flying in to throw herself upon his mercy. She was about to beard the lion in his own den. Using the information Rogue had provided at check-in, she’d shamelessly tracked him down and was about to arrive on his doorstep—unannounced and uninvited.
To Kit’s surprise, she’d discovered Rogue raised horses also. He hadn’t mentioned they had that in common, but their conversations had never been about friendly sharing. She’d figured that he lived in some fancy high rise off 6th Street, facing the river. Instead, she’d learned he had a place west of the Texas capitol near Johnson City. So as soon as the wheels touched the tarmac, she’d debarked and rented a car. Now she was heading west with a Texas sun so bright in her eyes, she had to pull down the visor to see the road clearly.
She was nervous, but she couldn’t help it. After their confrontation on the porch, he’d left without saying word one to her. After she’d finished with the sorority girls and had gone to look for him to continue her appeal, she’d been surprised to find his room empty and his things gone. She had no assurance he would even contact her again unless he had to start foreclosure proceedings. The idea that her family could lose White-Wing, have to move – was unthinkable. She had to do something, had to convince Rogue. If only he would listen.
Thirty miles west, Rogue stood over his massive stone barbeque pit, basting a brisket. There was nothing in the world better than Texas BBQ, nothing. Placing a hand on his hip, he gazed out over his land. With a smile, he watched two horses frolicking across the pasture. It was a mare and a stallion, he nipped her butt and she pranced to the side—an age old dance of erotic play. As surely as if it was following road signs, Rogue’s mind turned to Kit. He wondered what she was doing. A couple of times he’d been tempted to call, but at this point he didn’t figure she’d answer the phone. As soon as he put this deal with Simmons to bed, he’d be heading back to Kansas and he didn’t intend to wait for the last week in August when he was supposed to fulfill Dusty’s request to spend a week at Walker Minerals.
He’d had his own lawyer, Zane Saucier, look into the White-Wing matter while he was reviewing Dusty’s will and his company’s prospectus. From what Zane said, so far everything looked to be on the up and up. He was still waiting on the title search for White-Wing, but that was normal. Now he was having him look into his bothers—Dylan, Killian and Jackson. All he needed was to get involved with a crook and just because they were blood kin didn’t mean squat. Look at what Dusty had done. The man had literally maintained and supported five different households, kept five women trapped in false hope and lies and sired four sons who’d had no inkling they had family.
It was Rogue’s greatest fear that he would become his father. After all, he’d chosen to walk in his father’s footsteps business wise. Who was to say he hadn’t inherited Dusty’s inability to have a normal family life? So he’d made some promises to himself—one, he’d never marry and two, he made damn sure he practiced safe sex. No child of his would ever have to wonder why he wasn’t around, because Rogue never planned on becoming a father.
Bitter much?
“You’re doing that all wrong.” The feminine voice that had been torturing his dreams for the past week spoke up out of nowhere.
He wheeled around so hard and fast, he almost dropped his BBQ fork. “Kit!” He smiled, genuinely glad to see her. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
She answered him with a perfectly beautiful but straight face. “I’m here to proposition you. You should be using hickory and your sauce is too thin.” She leaned over to smell. “Might be worth eating, I’m not sure.”
POW! She had a unique ability to knock him off his game. She looked gorgeous in a creamy yellow sleeveless sweater and a pair of linen slacks. He didn’t know whether to focus on the tempting proposition or defend his meat. Why not do both? One thing at a time, he could multitask. “For your information, the best flavor comes from pecan or red oak. And my sauce has won six awards, reserve judgment till you get my meat…between your lips.” He leered at her. “As far as your proposition, my room is upstairs, first door on your right. Head up there, strip, and I’ll be with you as soon as I get this off the pit, which won’t be much longer.” He lifted up the slab of beef with his fork. “It’s just about perfect now.”
Kit gave him a patient smirk. “That’s not the kind of proposition I was referring to and you know it.”
“Pity.” He took the platter from the sideboard and placed the juicy piece of beef on the white pottery. “Are you hungry?”
Actually she was starving. Knowing she was there to plead and not to argue, she decided to play nice. “I am, in fact. Would you mind if I joined you?”
“Not at all, grab the basting bottle, we’ll use that as dipping sauce. I put jalapenos, root-beer, Jack Daniel’s, red wine, and brown sugar in my recipe.”
Behind his back, Kit made a gagging face but quickly erased it when he glanced at her over his shoulder.
“I saw that.”
She giggled, then regretted acting like a foolish smitten teenager. Her eyes couldn’t resist checking out his home. When she’d arrived, parking in the front circular drive, she’d followed her nose to where he’d been cooking on the pit. Truthfully, what he’d prepared looked amazing, and she was starving, her stomach was growling even now. What she’d seen of the backyard had been awe-inspiring, a pool, an outdoor kitchen and a comfortable patio faced a vast rolling green pasture where horses grazed.
The house itself made her think of the lodge at White-Wing, lots of wood and natural stone. In fact, she felt quite at home, which was dangerous. When they walked up to the back door, he held it open for her. “Welcome to my world, Kit-Kat. Who would have ever thought you’d be stepping into my house willingly?”
The idea of him bringing her in unwillingly caused a flash of heat to sweep over her. The last erotic romance she’d read bombarded her thoughts, all of that spanking and tying one another up had its own appeal. She smiled to herself, maybe it was their shared roping background, the possibilities were intriguing.
Rogue waited for her to go ahead. “This is the sun room, doubles as a breakfast room. I refuse to use the word nook. The kitc
hen is to the right, I’ve already made a green salad, some baked beans and I bought a chocolate pie at Royer’s.”
“Sounds good.” And it did, her mouth was watering. When she stepped into his haven, she almost gasped. You can tell a lot about a person from their kitchen and his told her volumes. The man took his cooking seriously. She ran her hand over the thick granite countertop as she admired the stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors and state of the art—everything. Warm earth tones were accented with turquoise and he had a western/Texas theme going on. “I love your kitchen.”
“Thank you.” As Rogue cut up the brisket, he kept casting curious glances at Kit. He had no illusions as to why she was here—she hadn’t flown five hundred fifty miles to have dinner with him. “Let’s eat and enjoy one another’s company before we…get down to business.”
Kit sat down on a stool to watch him work. He really was incredibly hot. Even doing something innocuous as wielding a knife to slice their entree was tantalizing to watch. To cool herself off, she glanced away, taking in what she could see of the adjoining rooms, a big great room with vaulted ceilings and a spacious dining area with a long mahogany table. All of a sudden a thought hit her so hard she almost fell off the seat. These rooms were masculine but they also seemed refined enough to have had a woman’s touch. “You aren’t married, are you?”
With a chuckle, Rogue squirted some of the sauce into a small bowl and set it next to the platter of succulent beef. “Oh sure, I’m married. She’s an understanding woman, I told her I kissed you and that I can’t stop thinking about you. She’s totally fine with it.”
Kit’s blood pressure jumped so high, it took her a couple of heartbeats before she realized he was kidding. “Oh, you!” She threw a dish towel at him. “Well, your house is too pretty to just be a man’s domain.”
“They’re called interior decorators in Texas, Kit. I’m not sure if they have those in Kansas, though.”
He was enjoying himself at her expense, she could tell. Kit was about to make some retaliatory remark when something wet nudged her leg and she squealed. “What in the world?” Grasping her chest, she looked down fully expecting to see a dog or a cat. Instead, she saw a small horse. A perfect doll-baby paint that was looking up at her with the biggest brown eyes she’d ever seen. “Rogue Walker! I’m in love!”
Kit didn’t ask permission, she went to the floor, put her arms around the small animal, and started peppering his face and neck with kisses.
“You’re making me jealous. Jester, what are you doing in the kitchen? Are you wanting a hand-out?” Rogue couldn’t help but stop and look at the picture before him. His impromptu guest was sitting cross-legged and the small horse was in her lap, eating up the attention. He hadn’t been lying, he was green with envy. Kit’s face was animated, all of that glorious hair was hanging over one shoulder and she had such love on her face that she made him think of a beatific Madonna. Squatting down beside them, he offered his pet a piece of carrot. “Is this what you came in here for?”
Crunch. Crunch.
“I think you made him happy.” Kit was still running her hands over the small horse. “He’s wonderful and so unexpected. Does he stay in the house with you?”
“He comes and goes. There’s a dog door big enough for him to get through off the laundry room. A neighbor bought him and decided she couldn’t keep him, so he lives with me now. He’s full grown and only twenty-five inches tall.”
“And you call him Jester? Is he a clown?” She threaded her fingers through his black mane.
“No, I named him after the dorm I lived in on UT campus, Jester Hall. It was a zoo.” He grinned, captivated by her smile.
“Whatever, I have to say the name suits him.” She stood, took another chunk of carrot from the salad and held it up to be eaten. She met Rogue’s eyes, and Kit realized she was looking at him in a completely new way.
She liked him. He seemed to be a good man.
Which could only be explained if the man Kit had known had changed—grown up. And she supposed that was entirely possible.
“Come eat, he’ll wander back outside.” Rogue offered her a hand to rise. “Let’s dig in while the food is warm.” Taking plates, silverware, and glasses from their respective cabinets, he let her prepare a plate first. “Get more, you’re not taking enough to feed a bird.” He held the platter toward her until she took another slice.
“Thank you, it all looks good.” She waited until he poured some wine, fixed his plate and began to eat. “Oh…” Kit started to compliment him on the meat, but it almost felt like a betrayal to the culinary reputation of Kansas.
“Taste better than you expected?” Rogue raised an eyebrow. “If you think this is good, wait for the pie. I like pie.” He spoke the last three words with almost religious conviction.
Kit giggled. “I do too and I remember Royer’s, there was one of those at Round Top, near to Brenham. I loved their pecan pie.” She ate another bite of beans, then a bite of brisket. Before she knew it, he was passing her the dishes for seconds. Feeling content, she ventured to ask a question. “Where did you grow up, in Austin?”
“No,” he shook his head, “out in West Texas, near Andrews. I came here for school and never left. My mother, Marian, still lives there. I’ve begged her to move here with me or let me buy her a place close by, but she won’t have it. She stuck it out there when times were hard and people were cruel. It’s not easy to be an unwed mother at any time, today people are more tolerant.”
His voice faded off and Kit felt bad for him. “I’m sorry. You must love her a lot.”
“I do.” Rogue nodded. “That’s one reason I’m having a hard time accepting what’s going on in Red Creek. Dusty Walker made some decisions that hurt a lot of people and no amount of money is going to make up for what we’ve lost.” Opening up, he told her what little he knew about his half-brothers. “I have no idea how this is going to work out. I never considered leaving Texas before.”
She gazed around his home. “I don’t blame you.” Now seemed as good a time as any. “I guess you’re wondering why I’m here.”
Full, Rogue put down his fork. “I know exactly why you’re here.” He had to admire her determination. “Before we begin to hash this out, why don’t we take a break? It’s a beautiful evening and I’d love to show you around.”
“Yes!” Kit brightened instantly. With a new sense of camaraderie, she helped him load the dishwasher and soon they were headed out the door. Jester met them and trailed their heels to the barn where they saddled the horses, even running along beside them as they took off in the moonlight. “You have a beautiful place,” she conceded with a sigh. “How many head of horses do you have?”
“Not many, only twenty. My main business is oil. I’m not rich, not yet. I’m still in reinvestment mode.”
Kit wanted to ask more questions, but she didn’t. Their association wasn’t one of friendship. They had an unfortunate past and an uncertain future—better to keep their soul-searching to a minimum. Instead, she threw her head back and took a big breath of fresh Texas air.
Rogue wasn’t as hesitant. “Do you rope anymore?”
“Only when I’m training the horses for others. Since we don’t raise cattle anymore, I buy a few steers every year then sell them when the season is over.” While she was talking, her eyes were taking it all in. Rolling hills of green, limestone cliffs, and tumbling creeks. She’d forgotten how beautiful this part of Texas could be. Kansas held her heart, but Texas was a close second.
Tipping his Stetson back, Rogue spoke sincerely. “You were damn good. I was jealous.”
Hearing his admission, she didn’t know if he was being sincere or playing some type of mind-game for advantage in their upcoming competition. “You had better form than I did, my header was a little faster, that’s all.”
With a chuckle, he wondered how Elijah would feel about her assessment. “I doubt that.” He was glad Mariah knew her way around. He could give the mare her head
and enjoy keeping his eyes on Kit.
“Do you still do any roping?” she asked, laughing when Jester ran ahead of them, bucking and prancing in the tall grass.
“No, my life is too busy.” He raised his hand and waved it toward the horses. “I’m lucky to get out and ride with them, breed a few to sell,” Rogue admitted with a sigh. “The best I can do sometimes is a video game.”
“For team roping?” she asked incredulously.
“Yea, I guess they have them for everything—race car driving, fantasy football, tennis.”
Kit nodded. “Soon virtual reality will take the place of living.”
“I hope not. Some things just aren’t the same unless you’re actually there.” He winked at her. “Like sex.” She gave him a small smile. There was no way she was going to confess her experience or lack thereof.
They rode for a while in companionable silence. Finally, when she brought her mount to a standstill and stretched, the swell of her breasts had him salivating. The memory of what they’d looked like as she’d lain in the bed he thought was his was burned into his memory. Rogue wanted her, he admitted it. If he had his way, he’d have his hands all over her, molding that tender flesh and sucking on those big nipples. Reaching down, he adjusted his package. He was swollen and leaking—no Viagra needed. “Are you ready to go?”
“I am.” She followed him back to the barn and helped him to unsaddle and tend to the horses. They even bedded Jester down for the night.
“I doubt he’ll stay, he’s short enough to get out of the stall. I had to install special fencing to keep him safe. Before morning, he’ll be in the bed with me.”
Kit laughed. “You’re the only man I know who has a horse for a bedmate.”
He loved to listen at her enjoy herself. “Anytime you’re ready to kick him out, you won’t get any argument from me.”
His quiet, yet flirtatious words made shivers of awareness dance on Kit’s skin. When they were finished, they returned to the house. “Okay, you didn’t come all of this way to taste my brisket. Care to let me in on your thoughts?”
Rogue: The Sons of Dusty Walker Page 8
