by Sable Hunter
His mother ignored him. “Is this the right place to get measured for his tux?”
“It is.” She led them in. “Miss Bryn will help you.”
Bryn, just back from the nursing home, took the little boy’s hand and led him and his mother to the dressing room.
Climbing on the stool behind the counter, Tricia considered returning her grandmother’s call. She hadn’t spoken to her since finding out about Shenandoah and the role her family played in cheating Lance and his family. Pretending she didn’t know anything about their shared past would be difficult, but she’d promise Lance she wouldn’t mention the travesty and, somehow, she would find a way to avoid the topic. For now, at least.
Honestly, Tricia was finding it hard to reconcile the woman she’d grown to care for with the dreadful woman Lance described. She knew her grandmother said she had sins to atone for, but she’d never dreamed these transgressions would be so damning or impact her own life so personally. Weighing the phone in her hand, she tried to decide if she could do this. Her choices were simple, avoid the topic or cut all ties.
Taking a deep breath, she placed the call.
As the ringing continued, she steeled her nerves.
“Tricia?”
“Yes, ma’am. How are you?” Tricia pressed the keys aimlessly on a calculator, anything to settle her nerves.
“I’m holding my own. How are you feeling? Are you managing well?”
Tricia knew she was concerned about the epilepsy. “I haven’t had a seizure in a number of days.”
“Wonderful. How’s business at the shop?”
“I can’t complain.” The tediousness of their conversation seemed so awkward to Tricia. She wondered if her grandmother could tell.
“Have you seen your young man?”
Tricia hesitated, squirming uncomfortably on the stool. “Yes…we’re together. For the baby’s sake.” She jammed her fingers in her hair and tugged a few strands. “For now.”
“I see.” There was a pregnant pause. “Are you happy?”
Was she happy? “Yes, I am. I can’t be sure what the future holds, but for now, I’m safe and happy.”
“Good,” she said, then broke off into a ragged cough. When she recovered, Marcelle cleared her throat and spoke slowly, “At this stage in my life, my greatest desire is for you to be happy.”
Tricia bit her tongue to keep from saying something she shouldn’t. “I just want you to feel better. After all, you’re going to be a great grandmother.”
“I know.” Marcelle coughed again. “I hope we can get together one day in the near future.”
“I’d like that,” Tricia agreed. “I’ve got to go, I see a customer coming.”
“Of course, dear. I’ll speak with you soon.”
…When the day was over and it was time to go home, Tricia was sitting outside her shop at a small café table, sipping a glass of water. She’d never been fond of drinking anything, so consuming enough water to keep herself hydrated and the baby healthy was something Tricia had to force herself to do. Staring up the street, she wondered if Lance had forgotten her. He’d never been late before, even if he hadn’t been able to come after her himself, he’d always sent someone else to pick her up at the proper time.
Glancing at the clock on the courthouse tower, she hoped nothing had happened.
Clip. Clop. Clip. Clop.
The noise of hoof beats caused Tricia to turn and gaze down the block. Even though this was Texas, seeing horses come down main street wasn’t an everyday occurrence. “Lance?” She stood up, surprised to see a horse drawn wagon heading toward her, making its way between the rows of parked cars, slowing down traffic, and causing people to stop and gawk. “What are you doing, Lance?” she called as he came near enough to hear her. He looked so good, like a cowboy hero of the old west, guiding a pair of white horses in a buckboard wagon.
“Picking up my date.”
The closer he came, the wider her eyes opened, for the back of the wagon was full of flowers – mounds and mounds of wild flowers. “How? Why?”
He smiled. “Aron was about to mow a field to plant some Bahai grass and I knew you wouldn’t want all of these flowers to be destroyed. So, my men and I, we took a little time and picked them for you.”
“Oh, my gracious, Lance.” She came to the wagon, staring at the huge pile of blooms – all the colors of the rainbow, from blue and purple, to yellow and pink. The image of Lance and his men picking wildflowers for her made Tricia smile. “I love this. Thank you for bringing them to me.” She was tempted to try and find enough vases for them all. “What are we going to do with all these beautiful flowers?”
Lance laughed. “I don’t know. I’ve got what I wanted out of them.”
“And what was that?” He held out his hand and she took it, climbing onboard to sit beside him.
“I was privileged to see the smile they brought to your face.”
His answer caused Tricia’s heart to miss a beat. “Tomorrow, perhaps we can have someone take them by the Starr’s. Jaya makes potpourri and she could dry the blooms and use them in all sorts of wonderful combinations.”
“Sounds perfect.” He sat still with the reins in his hands.
“I’m ready. Where are we going?” she asked, soothing her skirt, her eyes expectant.
He patted a basket at his feet. “I’m taking you on a picnic, down by the river.” Lance leaned toward her, his eyes locked with hers. “After I get my kiss.”
Tricia sucked in her breath. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her lips to his. Her nipples tightened against his chest and desire bloomed deep. Lance licked the seam of her lips, tempting her to open for him. With a whimper, she gave him what he wanted, parting her lips so he could take possession of her mouth.
With breathless excitement, she kissed him back. Warm, open-mouthed kisses.
Honk! Honk!
An amused citizen tapped on their horn, causing the horses to shift uncomfortably in place. Lance reluctantly pulled away. “Spoilsport.”
Sitting next to him on the bench seat, Tricia almost vibrated with excitement. “I wasn’t expecting this, thank you.”
Lance gave her a smile, pushing his hat back on his head. “I don’t know why, I told you that I’d try to top this morning.”
Tricia blushed. “As wonderful as a ride in a horse drawn carriage, wildflowers, and a picnic will be, I don’t think they’ll come close. This morning was pretty spectacular.”
“Ha!” Lance barked a laugh. “I’ll take that as a compliment, but don’t sell me short, the evening isn’t over.”
…By the time night fell, Tricia had to admit he was right.
He guided the horses to a lovely stop on the Guadalupe, one with a dock where she could sit and dangle her feet in the water. The picnic he packed was out of this world, nothing fancy but all delectable. Good cheese. Pears. Melon wrapped with prosciutto ham. And brownies. “Are these Libby’s brownies?”
“Yes,” he answered around a big bite. “She calls them her orgasmic brownies, I thought we’d test out the name in a while, to see if they live up to their hype.”
Tricia took a big bite and shuddered at the sugary goodness. “I think I can see their potential.”
“I have your potential right here, Miss Yeager.” He palmed his crotch. “Just wait until we get home and I’ll prove it to you.”
She loved his teasing. “You’re spoiling me.” Even as they laughed, Tricia worried that he was doing all of this out of some sense of guilt or obligation. “You didn’t have to do this, you know.”
“I rarely do anything I don’t want to do, Miss Yeager,” he assured her with a cocky grin.
“I talked to my grandmother this afternoon,” Tricia announced out of the blue.
Lance sobered. “You did?”
Tricia nodded, noticing the tightness of his features. “I did as you asked, I didn’t mention Shenandoah. I did tell her I was staying with you.”
“What did she sa
y to that?” He began putting the remainder of their meal back into the picnic basket.
“She asked me if I was happy.”
“And what did you say?”
They stared at one another, each trying to read the other’s expression.
“I said that I was…happy.”
“Good.” Lance seemed to visibly relax. “Me too.”
Tricia felt like there was so much more they needed to say, but for right now, this was a good beginning. After their picnic, Lance watered the horses while she played with the flowers, making a daisy chain and a wreath for her hair. Truly, this was the most romantic thing she could have ever envisioned. Not long ago, she’d bemoaned the fact that no man had ever given her flowers and today she was surrounded by the most beautiful array she could imagine.
The trip from the river to Tebow was made under a blanket of stars. They made small talk as they traveled, Tricia telling him about Jaya’s mother and other happenings around town. “Is there any word from Skye and Noah about Blue?”
Lance kept his eyes on the road ahead of them. Traveling down the right-of-way on this narrow road wasn’t the safest thing in the world to do and he’d be glad when they made the turn-off toward the ranch. “They flew to Oklahoma with Zane to speak to Brooke and to meet with the lawyers for the Hughes family.”
“Did they make any progress?” Tricia couldn’t imagine the turmoil this was causing Noah and Skye.
“Not really. Skye wanted to offer some type of compromise, some visitation rights for the grandparents.” He waited for a car to pass before he continued. “They wouldn’t budge. It was a wasted trip. Noah and Skye arrived back in Kerrville this morning.”
“What are they going to do? They’re not giving up, are they?”
Lance shook his head, guiding the team of horses to make the turn down the ranch road. “Not by a long shot. Zane’s investigator is still digging. Hopefully, he’ll find something to bargain with. The Hughes family has money, but so do the McCoy’s.”
“I feel so sorry for Skye and Noah.” She hugged herself tight. “It seems that anytime things are going well, something happens to muddy the waters.”
“That’s life, Tricia,” Lance stated the obvious as he pulled up on the reins and stopped the wagon near the stable. “No one has a life free of storms.”
The mention of the word storm seemed momentous to Tricia, considering Cady’s prediction. “No, I suppose not.”
“We just have to ride them out the best we can and learn to enjoy the moments of happiness we’re fortunate enough to find.” He helped her down from the wagon and gave Devin, who was pulling late duty, instructions to see to the horses and to contact Jaya Starr the next day about the flowers. Once he was through, he held out his hand. “Come on, beautiful, I’m ready to celebrate one of those happy moments with you.”
Tricia allowed him to tug her close, her mind full of everything that had happened. She wanted to press him to talk, to discuss their situation, to decide details about their future. But how could she when she wasn’t sure how she felt, or what she wanted?
“You’re very quiet. What are you thinking?” he asked as they strolled, hand in hand. He could sense her thoughtfulness.
“I just don’t want to make a mistake. I don’t want to hurt you or hurt our baby by my actions.”
Her answer surprised him and his mouth went dry. Clearing his throat, he found his voice. “I don’t want you worrying about such things. Nothing you’ve done has caused these problems, the damage was done before our time. We don’t have to play the hand that we’re dealt, we can begin a new game of our own.”
As they strolled down the narrow lane toward the cabin, the boughs of the trees met overhead, creating a dappled pattern of moonlight on the ground. “You equate everything in your mind with a card game, don’t you? Hands. Bets. Risk. Limits. How can I be sure you’re not bluffing? Isn’t that a poker strategy too?”
Lance didn’t take offense. Instead, he surprised Tricia by picking her up, wrapping his arms around her and molding her softness to the contours of his body. “Put your legs around my waist.” Tricia clasped her arms around his neck, holding onto him tightly. She trembled softly against his body and he could feel her heart fluttering like the wings of a hummingbird. “Does this feel like I’m bluffing?” Unable to resist, he claimed her mouth and to his immense relief, she responded hotly, her body straining to get closer to his.
As he drank deeply of her sweetness, Tricia could feel his need for her. A man couldn’t bluff this type of response. “Hold me tight, Lance. Hold me tight.”
He did as she wished, cradling her close as he moved up the steps of the cabin. “I have a fantasy of my own.”
Trailing kisses down the side of her neck, Tricia moaned and tipped her head back, giving him more access. His tongued blazed a trail over her shoulder and down to the creamy swells of her breast. “Tell me.”
“I’d rather show you, it has to do with this swing.”
Painted white, the porch was bathed in soft light from lamps on the wall. Surrounded by her plants, Tricia felt welcomed. “I don’t think the swing is long enough for us to lie down on.”
“We don’t need to lie down.” Lance sat down in the swing and she settled in his lap, her knees resting on the cushion on either side of his thighs. “How’s this?”
“I like it.” Tricia was mesmerized by the intense need on his face. Wanting to please them both, she took the initiative and unbuttoned his shirt, then pushed her dress from her shoulders and released the catch on her bra, letting the garments fall to her waist.
Lance lost his breath as he gazed at the full round globes she revealed to him. The nipples were tight and swollen, demanding his attention. “Beautiful.”
Tricia’s breath hitched and she arched her back as he stroked the velvet tips with his fingers, toying with them in turn. She held onto the chain of the swing as he played with her breasts, cupping them in his palms and pressing kisses all around the areolas. “Take me in your mouth. Please?”
With slight movements of his feet, Lance put the swing into motion as he sucked a nipple between his lips. Her taste entranced him. Peaches and cream. Her skin was as soft as the petals of those flowers she adored. His senses reeled and his cock grew hard.
Tricia closed her eyes and let herself feel. The tug of his lips. The friction of her femininity as the swing rose and fell, allowing her to pump against his hardness. Letting her hands slide to his shoulders, she held on. The erotic rhythm of the swing and the tugging of his lips at her breast felt so good that she began to climax.
Lance could feel her response and his own desire flamed. With haste, he freed his cock from his pants and pushed her panties aside. Tricia raised up to help him and soon he was inside her and they both exhaled with relief.
As his mouth found hers in a heated rush, Tricia clung to him, her breasts flattened against his chest, the nipples rasping in the fine hair. Every pass of the swing intensified their pleasure, giving an extra emphasis to the exquisite pull against her clitoris.
“That’s it, hold on to me. Never let me go.”
Tricia didn’t know if Lance realized what he said, but she gripped him tighter, her nails digging into his shoulders. Their mouths fused, their tongues mating wildly as their bodies rose and fell with the motion of the swing. Rapture built until neither could resist it any longer. Tricia’s release flashed over her, causing her to shiver in his arms, her voice rising to call out his name. Lance tightened his grip as he surged into her over and over, his husky groan filling her ears as his seed filled her body.
Laying her head on his shoulder, Tricia rested against him, letting her breathing ease and her heart rate settle to normal. “I don’t think I’ll ever look at this swing the same way again.”
Lance chuckled, rubbing her back. “I’m just glad we’re a good distance away from everything else. You’re noisy.”
Tricia sprang back and looked around, almost falling from his lap and Lan
ce had to make a wild grab to save her. “I didn’t think about people hearing us.” She glanced around, searching the shadows for movement.
“There’s no one out there, everybody is tending to their own business.” He nipped her on the neck. “Like I’m tending to mine.” He eased her to one side and adjusted his jeans, tucking himself back inside.
She straightened her clothes too, realizing she liked being characterized as his business. Standing to her feet, she tossed a teasing quip over her shoulder. “We should be more careful, though. I don’t want to ruin your reputation.”
Lance jumped up to unlock the door for her to enter the house. “Are you kidding? Having you around has done wonders for my reputation.” As soon as they were inside, he fished a key from the pocket of his jeans. “I’ve been meaning to give you this.”
Tricia froze. “What is it?”
“The key to my heart,” he teased, then nodded toward the door. “The key to my house. We live together now, it’s part of the package.”
Standing a few feet away, Tricia felt magnetically drawn to him. “What’s all in the package, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Not at all, a person should be properly informed of any deal they enter into.” He gave her a smile. That damned panty-wetting smile. “The package includes room, board, the key…and me.”
“That’s quite a package.” Tricia’s heart flipped over. “What did you mean when you said I’d done wonders for your reputation?”
Lance toed off his boots. “You kept me waiting so long, I got nervous you’d end up with someone else – so I tagged you.”
“You tagged me? What does that mean?”
Lance crooked his finger to beckon Tricia to him. “Come closer. This is important.” She moved nearer to him, as surely as if he held a string in his hand and was reeling her in. “Tagging is claiming. I’ve hung around these McCoy’s too long, I guess.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
He looped his arms around her neck, his fingers sifting through her pale golden hair. “According to Tebow rules, when a man sees a woman they want to put their brand on, they call out the word ‘tag’, which alerts all other men within hearing distance that the woman is to be considered off limits to everyone but the tagee.”
