by Em Petrova
“I’m still really sorry. Can’t we move past it all?”
She eyed him like he was hiding a tray of cupcakes up his shirt and had a new nickname for her at the ready. Well, maybe he did—sweetheart. Her heart-shaped face held a kindness to it that inspired all sorts of endearing terms despite his worry that he was rebounding like Ford had said.
He rubbed his fingers together, still feeling the warmth of her skin after touching her. “I don’t blame you for distrusting me, but you said yourself we aren’t kids anymore. I’m not that same boy who hurt you and made fun of your lizard costume.”
She looked away, staring at the area of regrowth she’d been measuring.
Inspired, he said, “That land had a tough time of it a few months ago, and look at it now. It’s lush and green. Can’t we be like that land, Lilah? Start fresh?”
When she tipped her head up to meet his stare, all he could think about was kissing those plump pink lips of hers a second time, but this time he’d enjoy it a lot more.
“I’m here for a while and… I’d like to see more of you.”
“Why?” Her voice was a soft breeze fanning across his skin and making it tighten with desire.
He gave her a crooked smile. “Maybe I like hearing you tell me off.”
She pushed out a laugh. “I’m sorry too. Okay, we can start over as adults. But I really do need to get on the road. I’m expected at the Landry’s next.”
He nodded, not wanting to let her go just yet. And not without plans to see her again. “Are you busy tonight? We could go down to that diner in town and have some dinner.”
She smiled again—more than he could have hoped for. “The diner’s closed on Mondays.”
“Damn.”
She opened her door, making him step back. At least the window was down so he could keep talking to her. “The maze is open tomorrow. I’ll be there,” was all she’d commit to.
She started her truck and he stepped back, forgetful of what he’d been doing before spotting her and peeling away from the others. He watched her bounce away down the road and then looked around for his horse. He whistled, and the mare trotted toward him.
Patting her neck, he said, “She’s like a wild filly still, untamed. But I like her.”
The horse gave a snort, which made him laugh. As he mounted, he said, “Not you too. Ford’s enough of a critic.”
As he wheeled the horse around in the direction of the pasture he’d been headed earlier, Easton’s mind flooded with thoughts of Lilah. And of course that made him wonder all over again if he was just putting his feelings for Katie into a new woman. This was confusing as hell, but he was compelled to explore it.
His thumping pulse was testimony of his attraction to Lilah, and she was the complete opposite of Katie, who was dark-haired and athletic, not strawberry blonde and slender. He couldn’t be projecting that at all.
The maze night would give him a chance to sit and talk with her—or get lost in the maze together and find a nice hay bale of their own. Stolen kisses and moonlight fogged his mind as he crossed the field, heading back to work.
One thing he couldn’t get over, though, was Lilah sucking purple frosting off her finger.
Chapter Four
The weather was perfect for the first night of the maze, clear and still warm but not baking hot like Texas always was at this time of year. Lilah had come prepared to get sweaty all on her own, though. Knowing Easton was around here somewhere and wanting to see her had her blood far too heated for her liking.
When she started toward the maze, she was looking for Susannah but came face-to-face with a table set up with all kinds of cookies, but the sugar cookies with purple frosting and candy googly eyes had her mind running away with her. She was touched that the big hunky cowboy had been taste-tester for this little girl.
She didn’t see him anywhere, but that was probably because he was immersed in some group gathered around the maze talking to family and neighbors. He always was very outgoing, while she was more shy.
Little Emma waved at her. “Want to buy some cookies? I made them myself.”
Lilah opened her mouth to say yes, when Susannah popped up. “She’s working the maze with me, honey. She doesn’t have time to eat cookies right now.”
Emma’s face fell but she nodded. Lilah leaned in and whispered, “I’ll be sure to grab a couple after I’m done working. Save them for me?”
Her head bounced on her neck with such an enthusiastic nod that Lilah’s heart warmed.
Susannah took her by the arm and led her to the head of the maze where they’d greet their clients who would be arriving any minute. “That was sweet of you,” she said.
“I love me some cookies with googly eyes.”
She laughed and looked around her.
“All set?” Lilah asked.
“Yes, I think. I keep thinking I’m forgetting something, though. It’s like on my wedding day, I was certain I’d forgotten my veil or the rings would go missing.”
Lilah laughed. “I remember. Don’t worry, even if you did forget something, the maze is a-maze-ing. Get it?”
Just in time to hear her nerdy pun joke, who would walk up but Easton.
“Hi, ladies,” he said smoothly, looking straight at Lilah. All of a sudden, she was back in her Leeroye Lacertilia costume. Her heart fluttered hard underneath her lightweight plaid shirt instead of the bright green scales, but she felt the same nonetheless.
Susannah’s face brightened when she saw Easton standing there. “Oh! Can you go find Ford for me? I remember what I forgot now!”
Was it Lilah’s imagination or did Easton’s face fall a little to be sent on an errand?
“Sure. I’ll grab him.” He swung off into the growing group. Two more cars had just pulled up and people were climbing out.
Susannah started saying something and then broke off. Waving a hand in front of Lilah’s face, she gave an amused laugh. “He is good-looking, isn’t he?”
She snapped out of it. “Who?” All she could see was Easton’s muscled back as he moved away from her.
“Rugged around the edges. That is if you like that sort of man.” Lilah choked back any breathlessness in her voice and returned her full attention to her friend.
“If you like that sort of man? Lilah, you’ve liked him since you were a kid.”
She batted Susannah away and quickly changed the subject. “This is a great turnout. I can’t believe how many have come.”
That got Susannah off on an excited tangent and Lilah was able to breathe a little easier. For now. Until Easton returned with his brother.
Susannah grabbed her forearm. “Lilah.” She looked a little queasy.
“What is it?” Lilah searched her friend’s face for signs of sickness.
“If there are this many people tonight, just think of public night. How are we going to handle it all?”
“I’ll be here and I’ll bring my brothers. That gives you a few more people, and I’m sure everyone else can recruit some friends as well. It will be great fun, Susannah. Think of what you’re doing for this community.”
The entrance fee to the maze was going to fund more activities for special needs kids in their area and a few more horses for Susannah’s program as well.
“There’s Ford. I’ve forgotten why I needed him now.” Susannah met Lilah’s gaze and they burst out laughing. By the time the men reached them, they were looking at them like they’d gone crazy.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had a flask hidden somewhere on your person.” Ford skimmed his hands over Susannah’s hips. He pitched his voice low. “But there’s no room in these jeans, is there?”
“Not here!” She went on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his mouth, though.
When Lilah turned away to give them a private moment, she found Easton staring at her. Particularly at her mouth.
Oh God. Those butterflies were back. No, forget that. A herd of rhinos was stampeding through her belly. She felt the
thunder of their feet so much that she actually glanced out at the field to see if they were coming.
Easton lifted his gaze to settle over hers. The rhinos in her stomach dissolved to warm liquid and trickled lower.
Lizard Lilah had never considered these sensations as a kid. Of course, she had never been fixed under the stare of a man as ruggedly handsome as Easton before.
And rugged was her type, dammit.
“I’m going to go grab a group to go into the maze with,” she said to distract herself.
She took off, and luckily, Ford had Easton in tow, headed for the wagon. Lilah glanced back once to see him reaching inside to pull out a feed sack, but then she was too busy to keep track of him.
She teased one of the clients who she regularly helped Susannah with. The little boy wasn’t a talker, but he had plenty of big smiles for what she had to say. She ruffled his hair and led him into the maze, leaving his parents to talk and socialize with the other parents.
Right away, they reached the corner and had to make a decision. “Which way should we go, Colby?” she asked the boy.
He pointed, and she led him off in that direction until they had another choice to make. Soon they were deep in the maze and she knew they only had to make a couple lefts to be out, but he seemed to be enjoying it so much each time they reached a dead end that she continued to make errors.
Others passed, and Lilah looked at each of their faces. They were all having a good time, and she didn’t see any signs of distress on their features. She would be sure to report back to Susannah about it, since it would make the woman’s success so much more rewarding.
They took another few steps and a shriek sounded from the left.
Colby brought up his hands to his face. This child was one who was very sensitive to sounds, and Lilah had to get him back to his parents—now.
She turned them around, took hold of his hand and hurried out of the maze. She found his parents right away and dashed back between the hay bales to hear more of the shrieks.
Following the sound, Lilah came across the person screaming, a mother who was frantically turning in circles. “Mrs. Alexander, what’s wrong? Where is Ginny?”
“She was here and now she isn’t! I didn’t see her run. I don’t know how she could have gotten away from me!”
She rested her hands on the woman’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Calm down. She can’t have gone far. We’ll find her.”
Just then, Easton rounded the hay.
“Split up. Look for a little blonde-haired girl about this tall,” Lilah commanded.
A serious look crossed his face along with something else, something she couldn’t read. He gave the Dalton nod and took off in the opposite direction. Lilah did the same, keeping a firm grip on Mrs. Alexander. All the other Daltons were quickly alerted and soon they emptied the maze and everyone was searching for the lost girl.
Panic was setting in when Lilah still hadn’t come across her. How could they possibly lose anybody? The maze wasn’t that complex. To a child, it was confusing, but most adults could use common sense to puzzle their way out quickly.
They reached the end of the maze for the second time and still empty-handed. Dammit. It was time to find this kid. Lilah hugged the mother and said, “You stay here. I’ll go back in and I won’t come back until I find her.”
The mother nodded, tears streaking her cheeks. Lilah surged back into the maze.
* * * * *
Upon hearing the screams, Easton’s first thought had been Lilah. Had another newt been spotted? When he’d learned it was the distraught mother of a child lost in the maze, determination had set in. But after circling the maze and passing the same people—his own family—each time, he was starting to wonder if she’d made it out of the hay and into the fields.
He stopped Case and Kade. “You guys get a bunch of people in the field. We need to know if she’s run off.”
They hurried back out, and Easton rounded a corner, smack into Lilah. He grabbed her reflexively to keep her from toppling over, but she stood her ground.
“I haven’t found her.” Her voice came out a bit too frantic. His urge to soothe her overtook him for a moment, and then he remembered why they were there.
“We’ll find her. Let’s start at the beginning again while everyone searches the field.”
“You’d do more good in the field. I don’t know how she could still be in the maze after so many people have been looking for her,” Lilah said, sea green eyes wide.
The evening was upon them, but it wasn’t remotely dark. If they didn’t find the girl by then, they’d have a real problem.
He closed his grip around Lilah’s arm. “We’ll find her. Come on.”
They walked into the maze and suddenly she came to an abrupt stop.
“What? Do you see her?” He looked around but saw nothing.
“I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.” She dropped to her hands and knees and began crawling.
“God, you’re right. Maybe there’s a way to slip out we adults can’t see.” He also hit his knees, doing more than crawling. He said a prayer for the little one to be found. Though he was enjoying his time with Lilah, he’d prefer it to be on their feet.
Who was he kidding? He’d like a nice blanket spread out in the bed of his truck and her in his arms.
As soon as we find the girl, he told himself.
Lilah turned the corner and he hurried on hands and knees after her, his hands getting poked by grasses. If his callused hands were feeling the sting of that, he couldn’t imagine what Lilah’s soft hands must be subjected to.
They continued on, swinging their heads right and left searching for small exit holes between the hay bales. On the fourth arm of the maze, Lilah let out a noise, almost like somebody had struck her.
She scooted to the side so fast that he hardly caught the movement. Then she reached into the hole and withdrew the child. “Found her!” she cried in a hoarse whisper he thought was more for the child’s benefit so she wouldn’t be frightened.
Lilah cuddled the girl on her lap. “Get her momma,” she said to Easton.
He got to his feet and ran for the end of the maze, where everyone was grouped around the woman. “We’ve got her.”
The woman let out a cry and he took her by the arm and led her directly to Lilah and the little girl.
From some pocket, Lilah had produced a lollipop and the child was happily sucking it while Lilah ran her fingers through her silky blonde hair. When Easton’s gaze fell on her, heat bubbled up in his chest, so strong it almost made him stagger.
What the hell was that? He couldn’t chalk it up to relief for the child being reunited with her mother. Though that was a strong feeling of gladness, it was nothing compared to what he’d just felt.
Lilah relinquished the girl to her mother’s embrace, and Easton moved forward, reaching out a hand. Lilah took it and he drew her to her feet. She was grubby from crawling on the ground and one curl had fallen into her eye, but she was most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. With the evening sun changing her hair to a deeper red-gold and casting the shadows from her eyes, he couldn’t stop staring.
Shouts of, “We found her!” sounded through the maze and fields.
Yeah, I did. For a second, Easton couldn’t make out the difference between them talking about finding the child and him finding a woman like Lilah.
She squeezed his fingers, her clasp warm. “Thank you, Easton.”
“Nothing to thank me for. You found her. Now let’s get them out of the maze and I think we’d better close it until we can make sure every small hole is closed up.”
She nodded, that lock of hair tumbling forward.
Easton couldn’t stop his hand if he tried. Using a fingertip, he brushed it off her cheekbone, letting his finger linger longer than needed.
Lilah shivered.
“Cold?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s it,” she said at once and leaving him wondering
if she was telling the truth.
They directed Ginny and her mother back out of the maze, where they were given cookies and cider.
Lilah walked right up to Susannah and put her arms around her friend. Easton hung back with Ford, watching the women console each other.
“Be careful with her, man. She’s not one of your bartenders.”
Easton jerked at his brother’s words. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”
Ford looked him in the eyes. “She’s not somebody you can toy with, flirt and banter and then walk away. Believe it or not, Lilah is still the same girl we knew years ago, easily crushed like a wildflower under a boot. You think she gets upset over a newt? I’ve seen her cry over a calf we lost to a coyote when she stumbled across it in the field. She’s soft-hearted, Easton.”
“And you’re saying I can’t possibly take care of someone who’s soft-hearted.” Easton felt like punching his brother and then kicking his own ass for even getting a reputation in his family like this. They had it all wrong.
His brother’s brows shot up. “Who said anything about taking care of her? I’m just warning you, man. You break her heart, you’ve got more than me to answer to.” He directed a nod at his wife, who was now smiling at whatever Lilah had said.
“You admitting you married a woman who can kick a man’s ass?” Easton said to lighten the moment.
Ford chuckled. “Yeah, I am.”
Easton laughed too, though he didn’t totally feel it. He was still stuck back on the fact that his brother thought him a monster when it came to women. Maybe Ford was right, though. He’d come on strong with Katie, and she’d given it right back. But Lilah was different.
Boy, was she ever.
Chapter Five
Lilah accepted her two cookies as promised from Emma and gave her a dollar bill for them. The girl beamed, and Lilah ruffled her hair.
Holding the plate with cookies, she wondered if it would be rude to take her leave of the Daltons. They guys had just spent an hour going through the maze with a fine-toothed comb and they assured Susannah and all the other ladies that there wasn’t even a crack that a newt could slither through and therefore safe for tomorrow’s public night.
