The Long, Hot Texas Summer

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  “Hey there, sleepyhead.”

  His endearment sent a thrill coursing over her skin.

  “Ready for some breakfast?”

  Was she? And if they did eat together, would it lead to more lovemaking on the one day both of them could afford to take off?

  “’Cause if you are...” Justin’s voice was a sexy drawl.

  Before Amanda could answer, she heard a vehicle coming up the lane toward the lodge.

  They turned toward the sound. “Expecting someone?” Justin asked.

  Amanda was about to say “no” when the white pickup truck came closer and she caught sight of the familiar green letters emblazoned on the side. “Actually,” she bit her lip, “it’s my grandfather.”

  * * *

  A. B. JOHNSON WAS everything you’d expect a self-made man to be, and more. Justin figured the carpenter was in his late sixties. He was fit, strong, robust and nearly as tall as Justin.

  A.B. got out of the truck bearing his name and company logo. He strode straight to Amanda, wrapping her in a bear hug. Blushing fiercely, she hugged him back. “Granddad! What are you doing here?”

  “I came to see how you were holding up.” The white-haired man released her and turned to Justin. “A. B. Johnson, here. Or Angus, if you prefer. And you must be...?”

  Happy to meet the man who had played such an important part in Amanda’s life, Justin extended a hand. “Justin McCabe.”

  Angus looked from one to the other. “Am I interrupting something?”

  “Not at all,” Justin replied cordially. “I just stopped by to invite Amanda to have breakfast with me at the lodge. I’d be honored if you could join us, too, sir.”

  Amanda gave Justin a look that reminded him that she hadn’t said yes. Not that he figured there was ever any doubt, any more than there was really any doubt that she would make love with him again when the time was right.

  A.B. smiled. “That’d be nice, thanks.”

  Justin ignored Amanda’s obvious wish that he hadn’t extended the invitation as the three of them walked toward the lodge. A.B. paused to greet all five of the dogs, who had been standing sentry on the porch. Tails wagging, each got petted in turn.

  Inside the lodge, two places had been set, complete with floral centerpiece, on the long plank table.

  Justin added another place setting and headed for the stove. “Hope you like pancakes,” he said over his shoulder.

  Her grandfather grinned. “I sure do.”

  Gesturing for them to have a seat, Justin poured three mugs of coffee, then set cream and sugar on the table.

  Conversation quickly turned to carpentry. “How much do you have left to go?” A.B. asked.

  Amanda slipped easily into business mode. “We’re halfway done with all the carpentry. Then we’ll have to stain and finish everything.”

  Justin didn’t want to think about the time when Amanda would leave. He liked having her at the ranch.

  A.B. turned to Justin. “My granddaughter making the grade?” he drawled, his faded eyes twinkling.

  Realizing he and A.B. had something very important in common—a deep and abiding affection for Amanda—Justin smiled back. “By leaps and bounds, actually.”

  A.B.’s glance narrowed, considering. “You cook for all your help?”

  Amanda cringed at the protective tone. “Granddad...”

  Justin winked. “Just the special ones.” He brought a platter of sausage patties out of the oven, and set that and a plate brimming with golden flapjacks on the table. He added butter and two kinds of syrup then went back to make some more.

  “Although,” Justin continued, pausing to bring out a pitcher of juice, “I did have an ulterior motive in asking Amanda to eat with me this morning.”

  * * *

  COULD IT GET any worse? Amanda wondered, barely resisting the urge to duck for cover. First Granddad, arriving unexpectedly, obviously because he suspected that something was up with her. And now he was watching her every move, and Justin’s, too!

  “Really.” Granddad sat back in his chair.

  “I’m sure Justin just wanted to thank me for giving him a hand with the fund-raising dinner last night.”

  “What I really wanted to do,” Justin clarified, with the gallantry for which the McCabe family was known throughout Texas, “was talk to you about the future.”

  Oh, no, Amanda thought with a sinking heart. Please tell me he’s not going to ask Granddad for permission to date me. “Not necessary,” she declared with an airy wave of her hand.

  Justin just smiled and continued talking to her grandfather as if she hadn’t objected. “Did Amanda tell you she’d been teaching carpentry to a teenage boy named Lamar Atkins?”

  Granddad folded his arms across his chest. “She did.”

  Justin stacked the second batch of golden hotcakes on the plate and carried them to the table. “Good, ’cause I have to tell you that what’s been going on here is nothing short of amazing.”

  Joining them at the table, Justin explained the circumstances that brought Lamar to the ranch and the attitude the delinquent teenager had when he arrived. “Everyone’s impressed at the impact Amanda’s been able to have on Lamar.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me,” her granddad declared, slicing into a crisp sausage patty. “My granddaughter has always had an enormous heart. Plus, a real talent for carpentry.”

  “To the point,” Justin agreed, adding food to his plate, “that I’m hoping I can convince her to stay on, once she’s done with the contracted work.”

  Amanda blinked. No way had she seen this coming! “In what capacity?” she asked.

  Justin reached for the maple syrup. “Carpentry instructor.”

  “Hmm.” Her grandfather scratched his ear thoughtfully.

  Amanda didn’t know what to think. She had not expected the two men to join forces. The only thing she did know was that, after having made love with him, it would be torture to work with Justin if they weren’t going to become romantically involved.

  And common sense told her that, over the long-term, they would not be.

  “Thanks, but I already have a job,” she said tersely.

  Justin studied her as if looking for a way to bypass her opposition and change her mind.

  Finished eating, Granddad pushed his plate away. “Despite the fact that helping people in need is always a good thing, my granddaughter’s right not to rush into anything. There’s a lot to consider. The overall stability of this situation, for instance.”

  Amanda relaxed in relief.

  Justin rose, more determined than ever. “Want to have a look around?” he asked A.B. “See what I’ve been able to accomplish so far?”

  The next thing Amanda knew, the three of them had piled into Justin’s pickup. They drove the entire two-hundred-acre property. Went to see the neighboring ranch where the boys would learn to ride and care for horses under the tutelage of Dylan Reeves. Then they visited the park ranger station at Lake Laramie, where the boys would go once a week to assist in whatever way necessary. And finally they were back to the boys ranch, where they toured the bunkhouse, and then the lodge, and finally settled in Justin’s office.

  There, the talk turned to the problems and pitfalls of starting any new business from the ground up, whether it be for-profit or nonprofit. Before long, Justin was getting out his books. Her grandfather eagerly took a look, curious to see exactly how and where the boys ranch money was being spent.

  Then, satisfied that Justin was an accomplished financial manager, A.B. offered to help Justin put together a financial prospectus on just what it would cost to set up an on-site workshop and offer carpentry instruction at the ranch for all the boys.

  The talk grew even more detailed and intense as the two men bonded.

 
Confused and a little annoyed, although she couldn’t exactly pinpoint why, Amanda eased out of the room. Given how pleasurably her morning with Justin had started, this was not the way she had expected her day to go.

  * * *

  “I HAVE THE feeling you’re ticked off at me,” Justin said that evening after her grandfather had headed back to San Angelo.

  Well, he wasn’t completely clueless. That was good to know.

  “Why would I be ticked off at you?” she challenged sweetly.

  His brow furrowed. “You tell me.”

  Her heart kicked up a notch. “Mmm, no.” Amanda inched off her gloves and tucked them into the pockets on her knee-length overalls. “You go first.”

  Justin narrowed his eyes. “I think you’re jealous that I spent most of the day with your granddad instead of you.”

  Amanda moved her safety goggles to the top of her head and swallowed against the sudden dryness in her throat. “You’re partially right.” She turned off the miter saw, unplugged it and walked out of the bunkhouse.

  At seven o’clock the sun was inching toward the horizon. This time of summer, sunset was still an hour and a half away. Peace of mind seemed even more distant.

  Justin shut the door behind them and came close enough for her to see the hint of evening beard lining his stubborn jaw. “Then suppose you tell me the rest of it.”

  Amanda struggled to maintain her composure in the face of all that masculine determination. “My grandfather has never approved of any guy who has shown an interest in me, including my ex-fiancé.”

  “Seems like A.B. might have had a reason, since your ex was obviously a jerk.”

  Amanda stiffened, hating it when he was right. “That’s not the point.”

  He cocked a brow. “Then what is?”

  She refused to be seduced by the satisfaction in his low voice. “Granddad likes you, Justin. A lot.”

  He didn’t back off in the slightest. “I would think that would be a good thing.”

  “Well, it’s not!” she scoffed. “I don’t want the two of you being all buddy-buddy.” Especially under the circumstances.

  He stepped even closer, inundating her with his intoxicating scent. “Why not?”

  Amanda put up a staying palm. “Because it makes things too complicated.”

  “In what way?” He caught her wrist and lifted it to his lips.

  Skin tingling, she pulled away from him and walked to the edge of the bunkhouse porch. “In a way that leaves too many people getting hurt.”

  He went very still, his expression inscrutable as he waited for her to go on.

  Knowing it had to be said, even if she didn’t want to have to say it, Amanda continued, “Because, like I said last night, if I keep seeing you, this—whatever this is—will end badly.”

  He came several steps closer, his gaze roving her upturned face. “It doesn’t have to.”

  “Doesn’t it?”

  He shook his head, his expression sober, intent. “I’d never hurt you, Amanda.”

  Amanda only wished she were that naive. “I’m sure it eases your conscience to think so right now,” she said. He was a McCabe, after all. And McCabe men did not hurt women.

  But that didn’t mean they would have a happily-ever-after ending, either. Especially with any real, long-term commitment between them out of the question.

  Justin threaded his fingers through her hair, cupping her head with his hand. “Listen to me, Amanda. My conscience doesn’t need easing where you’re concerned, because I haven’t done anything wrong. And for the record, I like your grandfather. He’s a great guy. Very down-to-earth.”

  Aware they were veering into dangerous territory, Amanda said, “A.B. also knows something is going on between the two of us.”

  “I know that. I could tell that right away.” He leaned closer still. “But even if I hadn’t intuited that, I would have found out. Because after you left the office this afternoon, he asked me what my intentions are toward you.”

  Dismayed, but not really surprised, Amanda eased into a sitting position on the porch railing. “What did you say?”

  Justin chuckled. “I said that I didn’t know yet. That you were really kind of ornery and independent, and you liked to cook.” He shook his head as if that were the worst complaint yet. “And what man could possibly want a woman in his life who knows how to turn burned filet of beef into the most delicious barbacoa enchiladas anyone has ever tasted?”

  Amanda rolled her eyes. “Will you be serious?”

  Justin gripped her wrist and tugged her to her feet. “I am being serious.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her snug against him.

  “When A.B. mentioned that you didn’t have an ideal background, I told him I already knew that, and it didn’t matter to me...and it wouldn’t matter to my family, either.” He paused to make sure his words were sinking in. “Because McCabes know it’s not the name that makes a person worth having. It’s what’s in a person’s heart. And your heart, Amanda, is pure gold.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Have you given any more thought to my proposal?” Justin asked Amanda on Monday, after Lamar had left for the day.

  The truth was, she hadn’t been able to think about anything else. The idea of staying on and helping create a program to teach kids like Lamar was incredibly enticing—even without the added bonus of working by Justin’s side.

  Amanda attached the slide for a cabinet drawer. “I’d be happy to help you design the program, but I can’t sign on as a full-time instructor.” No matter how much a part of me would like to do so.

  He favored her with a sexy half smile. “Not even if your granddad thought it was a good idea for you?”

  Amanda picked up the other slide and fastened it, too. “He wouldn’t.”

  Justin didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he took his cell phone out of his pocket, punched in a number and handed her the phone.

  “Hi, honey.”

  Familial warmth spiraled through her as she set down her drill. “Granddad?”

  “Justin thought it would help if I told you I want you to do this.”

  She glared at Justin, only to have him grin back at her in a way that made her hormones surge. Pacing a short distance away, she continued talking to her grandfather. “I can’t teach classes here. I have two jobs after this one, remember?”

  “Not to worry,” A.B. assured her. “I took care of it.”

  Amanda tensed. “What do you mean ‘you took care of it’?”

  “We’ll discuss it next time I see you.”

  Amanda willed herself to hold her own with these two determined men. Shielding her face with her hand, Amanda avoided Justin’s eyes. “Granddad, I know this is a good cause, but I have a responsibility to your business.” One she took very seriously.

  “Nothing trumps kids in need. Let me know if you and Justin require anything else from me.” And just like that he ended the call.

  Astounded, Amanda turned to Justin. “The two of you are ganging up on me!” Her heart took another little leap of anticipation as he neared.

  A seductive tilt to his lips, he held her gaze in an increasingly intimate way. “I’m going to do what I have to do to make this situation work. So,” he said finally, assuming—and rightly so—that she would help him in the end. “Do you have time to get started designing an apprenticeship program tonight?”

  * * *

  AN HOUR LATER Amanda had showered and changed into clean clothes. She met Justin in his office at the lodge, and though she’d braced herself for the prospect of spending another evening with him, nothing could have prepared her for the way he looked when she strolled in.

  For starters, he had showered, too. Not a bad idea after a day spent running in and out of the Texas s
ummer heat. He’d put on a pair of faded blue jeans, and an olive-green button-up. Shirttail out, sleeves rolled to just beneath the elbow, first couple of buttons undone, he looked relaxed. Sexy. And, to her secret disappointment, completely ready to get down to business.

  Already behind his desk, he motioned for her to sit down.

  “Your grandfather sent me a list of all the equipment we would need, as well as a list of prices and places where we could buy the brands he recommends.”

  Glad she had opted for a casual sleeveless turquoise blouse and a pair of ankle-length white denim slacks, she took the pages he handed her. The data was so well organized it didn’t take long to glance through it. Amanda smiled. “This looks good. Which is no surprise. Granddad is as good with numbers as you are.”

  He rocked back in his chair. “I take it that isn’t your forte.”

  Amanda sat back and tried to relax. “You’ve got that right. Which is why I’ve been dreading the day that Granddad asks me to take over the running of A.B. Johnson Carpentry.”

  He eyed her curiously. “Not interested?”

  Amanda frowned and tried not to remember how good Justin’s lips had felt moving over hers. They weren’t going there again, she reminded herself. “It doesn’t matter if I’m interested or not in handling the business side of things. Granddad spent his entire adult life building that company. The income the firm generates funds his retirement. I owe it to him to take over when the time is right.”

  Justin’s eyes darkened protectively. “You should tell him how you feel.”

  Amanda shook her head. “I can’t disappoint him like that. He’s been too good to me. And who knows? Maybe by the time we actually get to that point, I’ll find I like making out schedules, meeting payrolls and crunching the numbers.”

  Justin snickered, clearly not believing her for one second.

  “Okay,” Amanda conceded. “So maybe I won’t love it, but I’ll learn to like it.”

  A muscle worked in his jaw. “Sounds more likely.”

  Silence fell. Justin went back to looking at the numbers. A little bored, and a lot restless, Amanda glanced around. She saw a stack of folders fanned out on the edge of his desk. All had photos of teenage boys clipped to the front. She inclined her head. “Are these the first kids who have been chosen to live here?”