by Debby Conrad
She did exactly what he knew she’d do. She quietly lifted her head. Without looking at him, she pulled her dress down over her thighs and got out of the truck. With her head held high in the air, she walked to the front door, looking like royalty.
Luke swore. Why the hell did he have to act like such a jerk around her?
A voice answered. Because you don’t deserve her, pal. You’re way out of your league.
And he certainly couldn’t argue with that.
Rusty did her best to avoid Luke the next several days. She still couldn’t get over what had happened between them. The way she’d come apart in his arms. It was so embarrassing.
But she refused to give Luke the satisfaction of letting him know how much it had affected her. She would take that secret to her grave before she would ever admit it.
“Oh, who are you kidding?” she asked herself. The man’s ego was probably so huge right now, knowing that he’d won that round, he’d probably laugh at her when he saw her. Come to think of it, he’d been avoiding her as well, and she had no idea why. Although she was grateful.
She took a deep breath and relaxed in a Yoga pose. But her peacefulness was disrupted by the slamming of the back screen door.
She’d barely opened her eyes when Luke came to loom over her. He was holding something in his hand, a paper of some kind. His eyes were filled with bitterness.
“Do you want to tell me about this?” He flung the paper at her.
Rusty picked it up from the rug and stared at the bill of sale. “The horses are a gift. For Sam,” she said.
“Sam and I don’t need your money. And we certainly don’t need for you to buy a half dozen Arabians. You don’t know anything about our business, and I doubt you know the difference between a race horse and a mule.”
“I relied on a friend. Someone I happen to trust. He assured me if the horses weren’t of the finest quality money could buy we could send them back.”
“Is that what this is about? You think you can come in here and flash your millions around so I’ll remember my place?” His nostrils flared with anger. “Is that it?”
“No,” she said, getting to her feet. “This has nothing to do with you. I just wanted to do something nice for Sam.”
“I thought you were. Last I knew you’ve been busy seducing Tyler Richman so he’ll jump your bones and knock you up. Any luck yet?”
Rusty refused to let Luke know how much his words stung. She raised her chin. “We’ve been taking things slowly, but I think we’re both ready to take it to the next level. With any luck I won’t be coming home tonight, so don’t wait up.”
She turned and stomped out of the room.
Rusty pulled on a new pair of stockings. Tyler was picking her up in less than ten minutes. He’d promised to cook for her tonight. She should be on cloud nine, but her enthusiasm on a scale of one to ten was close to a one.
He was a nice guy, she couldn’t deny that, but she had no intention of sleeping with him, no matter what she’d told Luke. They’d enjoyed several dates together, and she’d thoroughly enjoyed his company and friendship. But there was something missing.
How could she even think about marrying a man she didn’t love and living a lie? Even if it would please Sam? She couldn’t sleep beside Tyler night after night and feel nothing. It wouldn’t be fair to her, or to him. As much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, Luke had been right. A woman simply shouldn’t marry a man for the sake of getting pregnant, nor should she sleep with him.
Luke must have thought she was a complete dimwit to think she’d go through with a plan like that. And he’d have been right.
But now, she needed to break it off with Tyler before the poor man got any more serious about her. She’d tell him tonight.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TYLER WAS A GREAT COOK. But that wasn’t a reason to ask him to marry her, or to father her child. No, she would have to find someone else. And in a hurry.
Sam seemed to be getting stronger every day, but he could have a relapse at any time. And she had to remember what he’d said about depression. Depression could bring on a relapse. She couldn’t let that happen.
Tyler had been quiet most of the evening, and even more so as the night wore on. She hadn’t wanted to spoil the nice dinner he’d made so she’d decided to wait until after the last dish was washed and dried to break it off with him. The time was here.
Rusty folded the dish towel and laid it on the countertop. She waited until Tyler wiped the crumbs from the kitchen table and rinsed the rag before speaking. “Tyler, I’d like to talk to you. Can we sit down for a few minutes?”
“Sure. In fact, I’ve been wanting to talk to you, too.” His blue eyes softened as he pulled out a chair for her. He sat down in the one next to hers.
“Rusty, we’ve had some good times together the past two weeks.”
She smiled and spoke softly. “Yes, we have. I consider you a very good friend.” Which is why she had to tell him the truth about her feelings toward him. But before she had the chance to speak, he interrupted her.
“Rusty, I have to be honest with you.”
She looked at him, feeling confused. “You’re one of the most honest people I know.”
He hung his head for a moment, then slowly lifted his eyes to hers. “Rusty, I’m still in love with Beth.”
Beth. His dead wife. She supposed she should feel angry by this news, but a part of her felt relieved. “I understand.”
“I tried, Rusty. Really, I did. You’re a beautiful woman, but there just aren’t any earthquakes when I kiss you. You’re just not Beth. You know what I mean?”
Yes, she was afraid she did.
Luke took a sip of bourbon and stared into the fire, watching the dancing flames. From the hall he heard the chimes of the old grandfather clock. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Rusty, who Luke decided was extremely inexperienced when it came to sex, and Tyler were probably making love this very minute. He clenched the glass in his hand, squeezing so hard he almost broke it.
He’d blown it this afternoon. He’d insulted Rusty and then rubbed her nose in the fact that she had money. Was he that insecure with the fact that she was stinking filthy rich, and that he’d once had nothing except for the clothes on his back?
Yes, he supposed he was. But that was his problem. Not hers.
He’d worked hard to get to where he was today. Sam had given him an opportunity to better himself, and he’d wanted to make the man proud of him. He’d worked his butt off those first few years. Sam had told Luke if it hadn’t been for Luke’s hard work and efforts, he would have lost the farm.
But even after all the hard work, the farm had been barely breaking even at that time. Then, Luke helped Sam turn the business around. They invested in some champion stock thoroughbreds and a well respected trainer. After winning several high stakes purses, they’d made a nice tidy profit. They invested in a few more horses, and entered more races and won. Soon they were charging hefty stud fees to breed more champion race horses, and their reputation in the horse business surpassed those with more years experience.
But it took a lot of money to keep the farm going. There were constant improvements to make, horses to buy, training expenses, and so on. Even with their success the last few years, they had to be careful not to get in over their heads. Sam left all the money decisions to Luke, and Luke was ultra conservative when it came to money. He would never risk his or Sam’s future on anything but a sure bet, as they said in the horse business.
Although lately Sam talked about getting out of the business. Becky and he had been spending an awful lot of time together in his room. Luke imagined that might have something to do with wanting out. If Sam planned on marrying Becky, he might want to buy her a home. Or maybe he’d move into Becky’s place. Either way, Luke didn’t have enough liquid cash to buy Sam out. And he wasn’t about to take Sam up on his offer to give the business to him in exchange for marrying Rusty and produci
ng a grandchild. Even though Sam hadn’t put it in exactly those terms, Luke had understood the underlying meaning of his words.
But what if Rusty married Tyler? Would they want to live here? If so, there was no way Luke could stay under the same roof. He couldn’t bare the thought of her sleeping in the same bed as her husband, making love to him night after night. Nor could he bare the thought of watching her belly grow ripe and full with another man’s child.
Without thinking, he threw his empty glass against the hearth. Glass shards sprayed in all directions. The sound was enough to wake the dead. “Damnit! Damnit to hell and back,” he muttered.
“What happened?” Rusty surprised him. He hadn’t heard her come home. He’d been too intent on condemning himself.
“Nothing. I spilled my drink, that’s all.”
She stepped in front of him and shifted her gaze from his face to the mess ten feet away from him. “I’m familiar with the laws of gravity, and something tells me this wasn’t an accident.”
Luke didn’t deny it. “You’re home early. Never thought Richman would be the slam-bam-thank-you-ma’am type.”
She wrapped her fur tightly around her. Her expression grew solemn. He could tell his words had stung.
“Rusty, I’m sorry. It’s none of my business if …” He sucked in his breath, unable to finish the sentence.
She shook her head slowly back and forth as she lowered herself into a wingback chair. “What would you say if I told you Tyler wasn’t interested?”
Luke studied her for a moment. “I’d say the man is a complete fool.” Inside, he was overwhelmed with relief and joy, but he kept those feelings to himself.
Smiling sadly, she said, “Thank you. You were right, you know?”
Raising a brow, he asked, “About what?”
“About everything.” She stared at her primly folded hands in her lap. “About money. It didn’t make Natalie happy. She had so much, but in the end, she took her own life. And money can’t save Sam, can’t add years on to his life.”
Luke was careful not to let her see him roll his eyes. That old codger would probably outlive her.
“And it can’t buy a grandchild for Sam.” She looked up into his face. “I finally realized that I couldn’t marry Tyler, or any man, just for the sake of getting pregnant. You must have thought I was such an idiot to even consider such a thing.”
Yes, he had. But there was no point in telling her so.
“Well, to make a long story short,” she said as she stood up, “Tyler’s still in love with his wife.”
“He’s crazy. Beth’s been dead over two years. He needs to move on.”
“I think it’s sweet.” She turned to leave, then stopped in her tracks. She half turned and looked over her shoulder. “Can I ask you something?”
He shrugged in response.
“When you kissed me, did you …” She hesitated, licked her lips. “Did you … feel an earthquake?”
Oh, yeah. An earthquake, shooting stars, and fireworks all at once. “Is this a trick question?”
Her gaze held his for a moment longer, then she laughed softly. “Never mind. I don’t know what made me ask something so silly. Good night, Mr. Galloway.”
He watched her walk away. “Rusty, wait!” He quickly got to his feet and came around the corner just as she’d climbed to the top step.
She turned around and peered down at him, her eyes full of questions.
“It was like a hundred earthquakes,” he admitted.
Her eyes lit up and her smile slowly broadened with pleasure. “Thank you for saying so.”
He’d felt like a fool telling her something like that, but he’d never seen her so happy, so content. Grinning, he went back to the living room to clean up the broken glass. And this time he didn’t swear.
Rusty knocked on Sam’s door early the next morning.
“Come in, Rusty,” he called out invitingly.
She pushed the door open. “How did you know it was me?”
“I’m used to your knock. I’m used to you being around.” The smile on his face reached his eyes.
She centered his breakfast tray over his lap, and bent forward to kiss him on the forehead. “You’re in a good mood this morning.”
“Why wouldn’t I be? My beautiful daughter’s serving me breakfast in bed. What man wouldn’t be happy about that?” He stared down at his tray and frowned.
“I don’t want any complaints about your breakfast. Just eat it. It’s good for you.” She’d made him poached eggs, oatmeal, orange sections, skim milk and herbal tea. Her cooking had obviously helped him get his strength back, because he was full of vim and vigor lately.
She hated to spoil his mood, which was why she chose to wait until he’d finished eating. She had to tell him not to get his hopes up about a grandchild. Because it just wasn’t something that was going to happen any time soon, or maybe not at all.
While he ate, she tidied up his room and bath. When he was done, she set the tray aside and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Sam, I need to talk to you.”
“Sure, sweetheart. I need to talk to you, too.”
“You go first,” she offered.
Nodding his head, he said, “Maybe I’d better before I lose my nerve.”
He looked so serious. She prayed it wasn’t something to do with his health. She forced herself to smile, hoping to make it easier for him.
“Rusty, I asked Becky to marry me.”
Rusty’s heart nearly stopped. Her eyes grew wide and joy bubbled from within. “Oh, Sam. That’s wonderful.” Although he didn’t look very happy about it. “Becky said yes, didn’t she?”
“Well, yes.” Relief filled her heart. “But there was a condition.”
“A condition? What sort of condition?”
He lowered his eyes. “Becky said she’d marry me if I promised to tell you the truth. If I came clean.”
“I don’t understand.” She sat taller on the bed. “The truth about what?” Please don’t let him say that Luke Galloway was her long lost brother. The only man who’d ever made her feel an earthquake with his kiss. “The truth about what, Sam?” she repeated.
“This is hard for me. You know these last two weeks have been the happiest of my entire life. When your mother took you away, I fell apart. For years, I didn’t give a rat’s ass about anything, or anyone. Luke saved me from myself. He’s been like a son to me.”
Oh, God, she felt sick inside. She folded her hands in her lap to keep them from trembling.
“Natalie always hated this place, the smell, the horses, the country. She had higher aspirations for you and herself. One day she announced she was marrying a multi-millionaire and moving to Switzerland. Switzerland,” he said as if she hadn’t heard him the first time. He slapped the mattress with his hand. “It may as well have been another planet. I had no money. Just a few lousy horses, and a second mortgage on this place. She said she could give you a better life, a life you deserved. And I didn’t fight her when she took you away from me.”
His eyes filled with moisture. He wiped at them with the backs of his hands, and went on. “That was the biggest regret of my life. Letting her take you from me. I loved you, sweetheart. And those letters you sent me that first year just about tore my heart in two.”
“Then why didn’t you write to me, or find a way to come and get me.”
Sam shook his head. A heaviness centered in her chest as she watched him struggle for control. Her own eyes misted over, but she fought to hold her tears at bay.
“I figured Natalie was right. You deserved a better life. Better than what I could give you.” He wiped at his eyes again and stared at his hands for a moment.
“Rusty, I’ve regretted my decision every single day of my life since. When I saw you at Natalie’s funeral, I wanted to hold you in my arms and tell you how sorry I was for letting you go all those years ago. But you were so cool toward me, and I knew you probably hated me for what I’d done.”
Rusty shook her head. “I never hated you. I could never hate you. I was hurt, and confused. I’d thought that all those years you’d never loved me.”
“I loved you, sweetheart. I still do.”
She buried her head against Sam’s chest and hugged him fiercely. “Oh, Daddy, I love you, too.”
He held her tightly and said, “I was so afraid you hated me, that you’d never forgive me. That’s why I had to lie to you. I had to get you to come home.”
Sobbing against Sam, Rusty stiffened slightly and pushed away. “Lie to me about what?”
He bit down on his bottom lip, then released it. “Rusty, I’m not dying.”
Her heart sang with sheer delight for several moments. But there was something in his eyes. Something she couldn’t quite comprehend. “I don’t understand. What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying that I lied to you about being sick. Becky didn’t believe me for a minute, so I finally had to confess. But now, she refuses to marry me until I tell you the truth.” His eyes opened wide as he realized how that must have sounded. “I was going to tell you the truth, eventually. Honest, I was. You can ask Luke.”
“Oh, Sam. How could you? I suppose this was Galloway’s idea.”
“No, don’t blame Luke. He’s been telling me from the start to come clean with you. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad at me. I’m just an old fool who wanted to see you again, to tell you that I loved you, and how sorry I was.”
Closing her eyes, she relaxed a bit. When she opened them, she smiled sadly and took his hand in hers. “That’s all you would have had to say, Sam.”
“Will you forgive me?”
Looking at him sternly, she said, “I’ll have to think about that.” Suddenly she remembered his bandaged feet. “So, if you’re not dying, then what happened to your feet?”
Waving a hand in the air, he said, “Heel spurs.”
She opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it. She was angry and ecstatic at the same time. Ecstatic that he wasn’t dying, and angry at him for lying to her. Didn’t he realize what she’d almost done so he could have his last wish fulfilled?
