by Jillian Neal
Indie rolled her eyes as she released the brake and put the truck in gear. She was almost as excited as J.J. who was applauding and raring back in his seat pulling against the restraints.
“I can’t believe Brock and Austin both have kids. It’s so weird. I kinda keep thinking of both of them as teenagers.”
“Well, you weren’t here to see ‘em grow up, honey. Truthfully, none of us saw Brock grow up, and Austin’s wife grew him up not too long ago so .…” he shrugged. “Hey, you know Austin’s married to Summer Sanchez.”
“The barrel racer?” Shock colored Indie’s features.
“Yep.”
“Wow. Guess their kids are rodeo bound, then.”
Luke considered that. “Maybe. Summer threatens Austin’s life every time he jokes about teaching either J.J. or Hank to ride bulls though. They barely leave the ranch. Both love it here. I think all that living on the road for half their lives makes ‘em not want to go again.”
“She ain’t still ridin’, I take it?”
“Well, he knocked her up long before the actual wedding. Come to think of it she’s been pregnant as long as I’ve known her. She stays off the horses while she’s carrying, but she’s itching to get back. Austin has to get creative to keep her off ‘til the doctors give her the go ahead. Hank’s only a few weeks old.” Luke pointed to a gravel road leading towards the back fields. “Take the long way back. It’ll only take an extra few minutes, and he’ll love it.” He gestured to J.J., who was waving to the cattle they were passing.
Eventually she parked the truck near his parents’ home, and they released J.J. from his seat.
“Dan tu,” he wrapped his arms around Indie’s right leg when Luke prompted him to thank her for the truck ride.
“Indie Jane Harper, you get up in this house and give me some love, girl,” sang loudly from Luke’s mama. Baby Hank was in one arm and she had the other extended to Indie.
Beaming, Indie raced up the front porch into her arms. “Hey, Mrs. Camden. It’s so good to see you.”
“You too, honey. Been way too long. Don’t you let my son keep you tucked up at his house the whole time you’re in town. You come down here any time you want. We’ll catch up and have coffee.”
“Don’t tell her that, Mama. I’ll never see her,” Luke teased as he accepted Tucker’s half handshake, half slap on the back.
Chapter Ten
Indie inhaled deeply. The tidings of being back in the Camden’s home, the place that had been her refuge for so many years, washed over her like a healing balm. The scents of lemon Pledge, chicken roasting in the oven, and fresh coffee baptized her and welcomed her home.
“Mel’s wanting Runzas. I thought the four of us could all go to Ogallala and get dinner. Hit up Underpass afterwards,” Tucker explained.
“Oh, I haven’t had a Runza in so long.” Longing perforated Indie’s tone, but the pleading look in Luke’s eyes had her clamping her mouth shut quickly. He clearly did not want to spend the evening with her little sister and Tucker. Thoughts of what he did want made her mouth water more than any thoughts of Nebraska’s delicacies in the sandwich department anyway.
Ogallala was the closest city to the Glen, but it was still almost an hour away. They’d be in the truck longer than their meal would take, which was precisely why residents of the Glen rarely journeyed to the small city nearby. “Uh, but I’d have to go home to clean up first. You probably don’t want to wait on that.”
“We don’t mind waiting. I want to hang out with you before the wedding. Please, Indie,” Melony all but begged. Guilt churned in Indie’s stomach. When Luke had proposed spending every possible moment together, she’d promptly forgotten her sisters.
Luke worked his jaw fiercely for several long seconds before he managed to unhinge it. “We can go if you want, sugar.” He made no effort to hide the disappointment in his voice. “Just dinner though.” The look in his darkening blue eyes dared either Indie or Tuck to argue with him.
Delighted that he wanted her badly enough to make no bones about cutting out of dinner with his best friend early, Indie bit her lips together to keep from giving him a naughty smirk in front of his mama.
Tucker laughed at him outright. “You got plans afterwards or some’um?”
“Damn straight.”
While Indie was reveling in the male posturing Luke was doing unnecessarily since Tuck was clearly teasing him, Melony edged closer to her with her eyes narrowed. “Indie,” she huffed quietly.
“What?” Indie turned on her little sister, annoyed at her distraction. Intensity and raw need rolled off of Luke in heady waves. Was she the only one that noticed how gorgeous he was? She glanced around the room. Ev had taken J.J. back out for another truck ride. Jessie was fussing over the baby. No one seemed to care too much about their evening plans.
“You are wearing a strapless dress in my wedding one week from today.” Melony tried desperately to sound threatening. Indie almost laughed. Her little sister still sounded like the soft-spoken first grade teacher that she was even when she was furious.
“Don’t remind me.”
“Indie!”
“What?”
“That mark on your neck is huge. How are you gonna cover that up?”
“Mel, it’ll be gone by next week.”
“Yeah, but I’m doubting that’s the last one you’ll have, and what about the shower tomorrow?”
“What about it?”
With a dramatic eye roll, Melony huffed, “Mama’s gonna wet her panties when she sees that.”
That did it. Indie doubled over laughing. “Oh, I would pay good money to see that.”
Luke and Tucker both turned to study them. Luke grinned at Indie’s hysterical laughter.
Tucker eased closer to Melony, looking concerned. “You okay, baby?”
“Yes.” Melony kept up her perturbed glares at Indie. “Let’s just go.” She turned to Mrs. Camden. “Thanks for letting us play with the baby. You’re coming to the shower tomorrow, right?”
“I’ll be there, sweetheart. You all have fun.”
“See you, Mrs. Camden.” Tuck brushed a kiss on Mrs. Camden’s cheek before he took Melony’s hand and guided her out.
Indie gave Luke’s sweet mama another hug before she followed everyone back out of the house. She rolled her eyes at the Skoal can ring worn in the back pocket of Tucker’s jeans. Clearly Tuck Kilroy hadn’t changed too much. There’d been rings in the back of all of his jeans long before he was old enough to purchase tobacco. When they were in school, he’d fuck anything that would lay still for him. Another round of irritation over her little sister’s engagement irked her blood as she let Luke help her up into his truck.
She took a quick shower at her father’s house and changed clothes while Luke and Tucker chatted with Ben, and Melony endured one of their mother’s lectures via her cell phone on why she’d decided to hang out with Tucker when she should be there helping to set up for the shower the next day. According to Mel, their mother had ended the call with a, “You’re marrying him next weekend. You can spend time with him then. Right now you’re to be over here working on the wedding that the entire town will be seeing.” At that point Tucker had taken the phone, politely told her to back the hell off, and had stowed Melony’s cell in his glove box on silent.
“I shouldn’t have said anything about getting Runzas. Sorry.” Indie climbed up in Luke’s truck to head to Ogallala. He still looked pissed.
“It’s fine, sugar. I’m just bein’ ornery is all. I want you so bad I can’t see straight.”
Sheer bliss warmed her entire body. She felt a tiny piece of the armor she tried so hard to keep guarded around her heart slip away. “It’s nice to be wanted like that.”
“I’ve always wanted you like that. My God, I half-mauled you in the fucking gym at that stupid ninth grade dance your mama made us go to, and back then I didn’t have any idea how incredible making love with you was gonna be.”
Shaking her head
at him as he cranked the truck, memories slowly brushed themselves on the canvas of her mind. He had been overly-anxious and a touch forceful when he’d finally worked up the courage to kiss her under the bleachers that night so long ago.
If she concentrated, she could still see the soft glow of light spilling from the full moon over the back entrance to the gym. It had illuminated the hard set of his adolescent jawline as he stared intently at her, barely blinking, and nervously running his thumbs back and forth over her hands clasped in his own. Their friends were out at the lake having fun, and they were stuck at the ninth grade dance because her mother insisted they go.
“You gonna kiss me or not, Luke Camden?” she’d finally dared.
That was it. He’d gone in like a beast attacking its prey, taking her for everything she was worth. She’d loved him from that moment on. Loved that she could bring out his wild. Loved that he was never afraid to show her how desperately he wanted her. Loved that he’d jump into something and figure it out as he went. And then she loved that he’d gentled the kiss and settled into her and let his sweeter side show.
The bumping lurch of the truck as he turned onto the long gravel drive that would ultimately take them to the paved roads brought Indie back to the present. She grinned. “You gonna kiss me or not, Luke Camden?”
He turned to stare at her. His left eyebrow cocked upwards with that sexy-as-sin smirk on his face. “Damn near came in my pants under them bleachers. If you’d brushed up against me, I swear I would’ve.”
“That still the case?” She snaked her hand over his zipper line just to see what he’d do. My God, he was well on his way to a full blown erection. His heat and rigidity filled her hand. No wonder he was so irritated about Tuck and Melony showing up.
Her caress drew a low, desperate grunt from his lungs. The heavenly scent of new leather car seats was drowned in his musk, thick, raw, and potent. Frenzied need was etched in every rugged plane of his body. “Indie, baby, please don’t.”
“Pull over.” She eased her hand away. “Tell Tuck we’ll meet them there in a little while.”
“No. I ain’t doin’ you in my truck on the motherfuckin’ road out of the Glen. God only knows what Clarke would do with that. We’ll go eat, but then, sugar, I’m taking you to bed, and we ain’t leaving for a long damn time. Be ready for me. I’m gonna have you all night long over and over. I need you, and I ain’t too sure I’m gonna manage gentle the first time. I’m too far gone.”
“I sure as hell don’t want gentle the first time, but please Luke, just let me take the pressure off. I need to feel your hands on me again. God, I was the dumbass that agreed to this. Let me make up for it.”
“You’re not a dumbass. Don’t say shit like that, especially in my truck when I can’t paddle your sweet ass for it.”
A rushed breath escaped her lungs from the thought of him doing just that. “I’m not gonna make it through dinner. I want you too bad.”
“Christ, darlin’ you have no clue. All I can think about is ripping them jeans and panties down your legs, straddling you over my lap, holding your hands behind your back, and watching your soakin’ wet snatch swallow up my cock as I slide you down it over and over again. Hard and fast. ‘Til you’re screaming for me. No condom. Comin’ deep inside of you. Bathin’ you in my cum and not givin’ a damn what you think about it. Then watching it drip out of your pussy down your thighs when I let you up.” Regret ate at his words. He slid a shameful glance her way before returning his eyes to the road. “Fully aware that makes me an asshole. I’ll get it together here in a minute.”
“Fantasies don’t make you an asshole, Luke, and I was thinkin’ basically the same thing.”
“I don’t have any condoms with me, honey. You come over that seat, I ain’t gonna be able to stop myself. Just hold my hand.” He clasped her hand in the strength of his own and held her tight.
“Doesn’t this make it worse?” She held up their joined hands. “It’s like I get to touch the candy but not eat it.”
“Makes it a little easier for me.” His breaths did steady. “Reminds me how lucky I am that I’m the guy gettin’ to have you in my truck, calling you mine again, and honestly, it reminds me how much I have to lose if I fuck this up again.”
“Luke,” she shook her head. Dammit. When she left it wasn’t going to be because he fucked something up. He never could. Why didn’t he get that?
“Sorry,” he swallowed down what sounded like raw need and biting regret. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“K, how about when did Tucker and Melony get together? I’d ask her, but to Mel that qualifies as girl talk, and then I’ll be inundated with makeup tips, how I should wear skirts more because they’re cute, and there’s a decent chance I’ll have to hear about how Tuck is in bed.” She gagged. “No thanks.”
Luke’s sexy chuckle lightened the entire atmosphere. Being in the truck with him, listening to him laugh, confessions over his hot as hell desires, it was like the sun setting in a thousand shades of rusty orange and deep sangria put on a show simply because they were there together again.
“You don’t need makeup, ever, and your ass is so damn hot in them Wranglers I’m about to lose my mind. If you had on a skirt, I wouldn’t get to appreciate your curves as easy, and if there weren’t two layers of clothes between me and your crotch, it would already have all been over with. Don’t listen to your sister. I’ll tell you what I know about how they got together, but you ain’t gonna like it, so just promise me you won’t scalp him as soon as we get to Ogallala.”
“I knew it. Was he cheating on somebody else when they met, and she bought his ‘I swear, baby, I’d never do that to you’ shit or something?”
“Nah, nothing like that, and I told you if he ever stepped out on Melony I’d have plenty to say about it.”
Another grin formed on Indie’s lips. She couldn’t remember the last time she smiled like this. “Thanks for always lookin’ out for my baby sisters when I wasn’t here to do it.”
“I’d rather you be here so I can be lookin’ out for you, but you know I’ll watch out for them, too.”
“I know.” Indie tightened her hold of his hand.
“I honestly don’t remember the chick’s name that was getting married, but she was a friend of Mel and Miranda’s. This was about a year ago. Anyway, girl went to Pleasant Glen, but we’d graduated before she got there. She was throwing a bachelorette party and wanted to hire strippers. Naturally, men that’ll put on a show taking their clothes off for money aren’t easy to come by in a ranching town out in the middle of nowhere. So, Ryder Lewis dared Tuck into playing stripper with him for the party. It was good money, according to Tuck, and Ryder owed some on a bet he lost. I couldn’t believe Tucker did it, but he thought it was hilarious. According to him, he and Mel hung out before the festivities. A few hours later, he was about to give her a private show and realized she’d had way too much to drink.”
“I’ll kill him.” Indie glared at Tucker’s truck just ahead of them.
“Listen to me. He and Melony both swear he just took her home. He stayed with her to make sure she was okay, but he slept on the couch. They’ve been an item ever since.”
“That don’t sound like the Tucker Kilroy I knew.”
“Like I said, he grew up, too. He even puts up with all of your mama’s crazy for her. He’s in love.”
“If he didn’t take advantage of her, why would I not like the story?”
Luke shrugged. “I just didn’t know how you’d be about them meeting while he was playing stripper at a party for a gaggle of other women.”
Indie considered that. “Honestly, it makes me kind of proud of Mel. She was always the one that worried about what Mama would think of everything. She was always so desperate to please everyone. I’ll just bet Carolyn doesn’t know how her favorite daughter met her farmer.”
“I’d dare say not. Carolyn’s not too thrilled with Tucker anyway. Thinks he ain’t good enough for
Mel. Don’t make enough money growing corn.”
“No, she thinks he don’t make enough money to marry the mayor’s daughter.” Indie convulsed. “I know precisely what she’s thinkin’. She actually tried to get Mel to ask Daddy to let the mayor walk her down the aisle. Makes me want to remove my mother’s vocal cords via her ass.”
Luke’s laughter filled the truck cab once again. “I ain’t gonna try to stop you. Melony might even hold her down for you. Tuck’s so sick of it all he’s thinking of asking Melony to move away from the Glen with him. Trying to talk his brothers into selling the farm here and buying ranch land in Wyoming somewhere. His daddy would probably have a stroke. I haven’t pointed that out to him yet. Tuck’s willing to trade in corn for cattle just to get Mel away from your mama so they can have a life without interference. Don’t mention I said any of this though.”
“I’m not surprised. Carolyn Harper Jenkins ran me off. Can’t blame my sisters for doing the same. Mel loves the Glen though, and Tuck’s family has owned that farm for generations. He shouldn’t have to give it up just because my mother is a pain. She needs to remember that at one time she was a Harper, married to my daddy, and making babies with him. Drives me crazy she’d prefer to pretend that away. Loves people to think we all belong to Mayor Asshat.”
Indie lowered the windows in the truck. With the wind tied up in her hair and his beautiful smile on her features, Luke found himself envious of Tucker. At least Tuck had options. Luke would not only be letting down his entire family if he left their ranch, but every farmer or rancher a hundred miles in every direction. There weren’t any other vets in the area willing to take care of anything from ornery bulls to the family pets. Luke had never backed away from any responsibility. After Indie had left, he’d even come home every single weekend of college to help his family work the ranch. Steadfast and reliable were words that had been etched in his soul. That’s who the Camden men were, who they’d always been. Trying to separate himself from his responsibilities was akin to trying to rip his soul from his body.
