The Texan Quartet (Books 1-4) Omnibus

by Claire Boston

  ***

  Two and a half hours later, Elle was pleasantly relaxed. Her head felt lighter than it had in a long time, she’d eaten the best meal of her life, drunk two glasses of a very nice wine and was enjoying the banter between the women who were obviously best of friends. She’d always wanted friends like these, someone she could tell secrets or talk with about all manner of odd things and have such unconditional support. She’d had a friend in high school, Melanie, who had been her best friend but when she’d met Dean, they’d grown apart. If she was honest with herself, she’d probably neglected the friendship in favor of this new man who had swept her off her feet.

  She’d been so blind.

  “So Imogen, how much longer are you going to wait before Chris moves in?” Piper asked.

  Imogen screwed up her face. “I promised myself six months,” she said. “It’s only been six weeks.”

  “You do spend almost every night together anyway.” Libby pointed out.

  Imogen sighed. “I know. I thought I needed some time to get to know me, to sort my life out, and it turns out, I can’t imagine my life without Chris in it.”

  “Honey, you’re the most sorted-out person I know, next to Libby,” Piper said. “You’ve got a great job with a boss you love, you’ve got a gorgeous house wanting to be filled with children, a family who adores you, and a boyfriend who loves you. All you need to do is work out what you want.”

  “I want him,” Imogen said.

  Perhaps it was the wine that had relaxed Elle enough to say, “Don’t let Chris take over your life. You need to be allowed to do things you want to do. If you’re too crazy in love, you’ll lose yourself and regret it afterward.”

  The women all turned to her with different degrees of surprise on their faces. She’d said too much.

  “Is that what happened with you and Toby’s father?” Piper asked, her voice gentle.

  Elle felt like a deer caught in headlights. She shouldn’t have opened her mouth. She didn’t want these people to know about the mess she’d made of her life.

  “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want,” Libby said. “But I know what it’s like to have a bad relationship.”

  “We all do,” Piper said.

  They were so sincere. Would they judge her for her mistakes? She closed her eyes. What the hell – if they were going to judge her it was better she found out now.

  “Dean swept me off my feet,” Elle said. “I was eighteen and was working in a diner when I wasn’t at college. He was a script writer who used to work at a table all day and he called me his muse.” It had made her feel so special. “He was a few years older than me.” She glanced at the women, hoping they would understand. Imogen squeezed her hand.

  “I gave up college for him. He needed me around so he could write. I continued to work in the diner and he was convinced he would soon sell his script and I wouldn’t have to work any more.” She sighed. That was Dean’s constant mantra: soon, soon, soon.

  “When I moved in with him my parents weren’t happy. Then I got pregnant.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I was nineteen and terrified. We had so little money, and Dean was getting frustrated by the lack of success with his scripts.” Elle glanced at them, willing them to understand. “Dean wanted me to get an abortion and my parents told me I had to keep it.”

  Piper’s voice was soft. “It must have been awful for you.”

  Elle nodded. “James was the only one who told me to do what was right for me.”

  “That’s your brother?” Imogen asked.

  “Yes.” Elle sighed. “I thought a baby would bring Dean and me closer together so I chose to have Toby. When he was born, he suffered from colic a lot and used to keep me up all through the night. Dean was angry all the time but I thought it was because of the lack of sleep. He said we were moving to his parents’ ranch in Texas and his mother could help, so we did.”

  “What about your parents?” Libby asked.

  “I didn’t tell them how bad it was. I knew they didn’t approve of Dean and I wanted to show them I could do it on my own. My mom and I had the worst fight.” Elle hadn’t heard from her since.

  “What happened when you got to Texas?” Piper asked.

  “We moved into the old ranch house and Dean’s mother helped out. When Toby screamed at night, I’d take him for a walk around the ranch yard until he stopped crying.” She remembered those nights when she’d jump at any sound, thinking a coyote was going to attack her from the darkness. The noises of the ranch were strange – it was a whole different world from the city.

  “It must have been difficult for you,” Libby said.

  Elle shrugged. It had been but she’d brought it on herself.

  Piper sipped her wine. “Things didn’t get any better, did they?”

  Piper must be one hell of a reporter. “No. Dean resented being in Texas, he hated the way Toby dominated my attention and he never let me leave the ranch on my own.” Elle’s tongue felt so loose; she wanted to tell them everything. “We had no money of our own so everything came from his parents. Dean only ever passed along enough for things I needed, like diapers. He controlled everything I did.”

  Imogen hugged her. “Why didn’t you call your parents?”

  “They never replied to the letters I sent.”

  “That you know of,” Piper said.

  “George said the same thing,” Elle admitted. “I need to find time to see what James is doing now. Maybe contact him.”

  “So how did you get to Houston?” Piper asked.

  “I told Dean Toby had a fever and I needed to get him to the doctor. Dean was waiting for a phone call from an agent and Dean’s mom was away on a spa trip with some friends. None of the men could get away from the ranch, so Dean let me take Toby on my own. When I got to town, I went to the hospital there and asked where the nearest women’s shelter was. They gave me an address in Houston and I drove there. One of the shelter employees drove the car back to Brenham and left it there so Dean’s parents could have it back, and so they didn’t know where I’d gone.”

  “You had nothing with you?” Libby was incredulous.

  “I had grocery money because I told Dean I needed a few things but that was it.” She hadn’t dared to ask for too much money.

  “Toby wasn’t sick?” Imogen asked.

  “No. Dean was too distracted to check.” It was the only time she’d been pleased about his lack of interest in his son.

  “You’re amazing,” Libby said. “I can’t believe you did all of it on your own. And now you’ve got your own business.”

  Elle shook her head. She wasn’t anything special. “It’s not been easy.”

  “Of course not,” Piper agreed. “But you’ve got us and George now to help you out. Call if you need anything.”

  Elle was silent. She wanted to tell them she wasn’t amazing, she’d just been desperate – desperation could fuel all sorts of things. Instead she said, “Thank you.”

  They sat in silence for a moment and then Libby asked, “Does anyone want dessert?”

  That lightened the mood.

  “I have to,” Piper said. “The food was so fantastic I need to taste the desserts.”

  Elle laughed along, relief that they supported her making her giddy. They ordered dessert and by the time they were finished she wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk out – someone might have to roll her.

  “Will the chef come out so we can thank him?” Piper asked the waiter.

  “No, but I’ll pass on your thanks. He’s real busy.” The waiter smiled as he handed Libby’s credit card back.

  “Are you sure? I could pop into the kitchen and tell him.”

  The waiter grinned at the idea. “No one but staff are allowed in the kitchen.”

  Piper opened her mouth to argue, but Imogen spoke.

  “Piper, we’re going dancing. You can chase up the elusive chef later.”

  “All right.” Piper was quick to agree, but Elle suspected s
he would pursue the chef later. Her interest had been whetted.

  On the way out to the limousine, Elle checked the time and called George.

  “How’s it going?” she asked.

  “Absolutely fantastic. Toby’s in bed and I’ve cleaned up the mess.”

  There was giggling in the background. “Is that right? Is he asleep?”

  “Ah, well you didn’t say anything about sleeping. You just said he needed to be in bed at seven-thirty.”

  Elle swallowed her smile, sure he’d be able to hear it in her voice. “If Toby is grumpy tomorrow, I’ll tell Harry to drop him off at your place and then you can deal with him.”

  “Actually I was going to ask you if I could have him tomorrow,” George said. “Dad’s doing some renovation work on a house and Toby might get a kick out of helping. There are a couple of small things he could do while Dad and I do the bigger stuff.”

  Elle was speechless. He wanted to spend more time with her son? “What time?”

  “We’ll start at eight and finish mid-afternoon. I can drop him off at the shop at whatever time suits.”

  “Let me think about it,” she said. “But if he is going, he needs his sleep.”

  “Sure. Have fun. Don’t be home too early.” George hung up.

  Elle tucked her phone into her pocket, still shaking her head.

  “Anything wrong?” Imogen asked.

  “George wants to take Toby to do some work with his father tomorrow,” Elle said.

  “That’s so sweet,” Libby said.

  “Hank’s a sweetheart. He did most of the work on my house,” Imogen said. “They’ll both keep an eye on Toby.”

  “But why would he want to? Toby’s my responsibility.”

  “George loves kids,” Libby told her. “He often calls Kate and takes her on an adventure somewhere. Sometimes I think it’s because he’s a big kid himself and it gives him an excuse to go to all of the fun places, but it’s always genuine.”

  “I’m worried Toby will get too attached to him,” Elle said. She wasn’t used to having help with Toby, wasn’t used to having a male interested in either of them. Dean’s brothers and father were generally too busy, though they did take him riding on occasion. And she wanted to be clear in her mind as to where she and George were going before he and Toby got too attached – though maybe she was too late.

  “You do like George, don’t you?” Piper asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then what you need is to spend some time with him without Toby. When’s your next day off?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t really take time off.”

  “Honey, you need some time for yourself. Is there someone at the shop who can take over for the day?”

  Nora could handle managing the café during the week, no question, but George worked. Elle wasn’t sure if Drew was reliable enough – and the weekends were so much busier too. “I could train someone.”

  “When you’re ready, I can take Toby for the day. I’m sure he and Kate will have a great time together,” Libby said.

  “Then you and George can have some get-to-know-you time.” Piper winked and Elle blushed.

  She wasn’t sure she was ready to take the next step, wasn’t sure she wanted to have another man in her life, but she did want to spend more time with George.

  So maybe she was ready.

  ***

  It was after midnight when she let herself into her apartment. The living-room light was on and George was stretched out on the couch asleep.

  A twinge of guilt hit Elle. She shouldn’t have stayed out so late. George couldn’t be comfortable there and it was obvious he was tired. She closed the door behind her and George stirred at the sound.

  “George, I’m home,” she said not too loudly, hoping she wouldn’t startle him.

  “The phrase is, Honey, I’m home.” He opened his eyes, and smiled at her. “Do I get a welcome kiss?”

  Perhaps he hadn’t been sleeping after all. She hesitated, blushed at the intensity in his gaze and quickly moved through to the kitchen to put her keys and phone on the table.

  George followed her in.

  “Did Toby behave?” she asked, filling the kettle with water, more for something to do with her hands than from a desire for a drink.

  “He was fantastic. He’s got a great imagination.”

  Elle smiled. “He does.” She turned around to find George right behind her. Her breath caught but he didn’t move forward or away, letting her decide what to do. She put her hands on the counter behind her, hoping to seem casual. “What time did he go to sleep?”

  “A little after you called.” He had the grace to look bashful. “Have you decided if he can come with me tomorrow?”

  “Won’t he get in your way?”

  “Nah. Dad used to take us with him when we were his age. There’s always stuff to do.”

  “OK. If you think it’s safe. If he’s interested, he can go.”

  “He is.” George ran a hand through his hair. “He overheard me on the phone.”

  Elle couldn’t prevent the smile. “Fine, but when he’s grumpy from lack of sleep, you can’t bring him back.”

  “Agreed.” George stepped closer, so he was only inches away but not touching her. “Now we have that sorted, you owe me a kiss.”

  Chapter 11

  George didn’t wait for her answer: he stepped in and took. The kiss was scalding and his arms came around her, drawing her closer, enveloping her.

  Elle stiffened for a second with a momentary sensation of being trapped, before the kiss swept her away. She answered his kiss with the passion she’d had pent up since he found her in her towel earlier in the day.

  He trailed kisses down her neck and his hand drew up to cup her breast. Elle gasped at the tenderness, and the pulse of her body as his thumb ran over her nipple. The heat burned through her despite the layers of clothing.

  “George,” she whispered and brought his mouth back to hers. She wanted to taste him, needed him to make her feel.

  His fingers went to the buttons of her shirt and undid them. Elle ran her fingers through his hair as her shirt fell open.

  His fingers brushed her bare skin – and reality kicked in.

  She pushed him back. “No.”

  What the heck had she been thinking? She couldn’t do this. She was in her kitchen with her five-year-old son just down the hallway. He could wake up and walk in, and find them like this.

  Her heart beat heavily as she crossed her arms. “I can’t. Not here. Toby’s asleep.”

  George stepped back, his eyes apologetic. “Sorry, too fast.” He ran a hand over her arm, stepped forward and kissed her gently. “I got carried away.”

  Elle closed her eyes on the kiss. Her throbbing body wanted her to continue but she couldn’t. It was all happening too fast. She needed to think things through, decide what she wanted. She’d only ever had sex with Dean. Letting someone else in was a huge step.

  One she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

  “I just –” She wasn’t sure how to explain.

  George smiled. “You’re amazing,” he said as he stepped away. “We’ll go as slowly as you need.”

  Elle stepped forward and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” It was a relief he understood.

  “No problem.”

  Elle wanted him to stay a little longer but she had to be at work early in the morning. And she needed to slow things down. “You’d better head off. We both need our sleep, you more so if you have to keep up with Toby in the morning.”

  “Good point.”

  At the door Elle said, “Are you free next Sunday?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be back from California on Saturday.”

  She took a deep breath, preparing for rejection. “If I can get the day off, would you like to spend it with me?”

  George’s grinned rivaled the Grand Canyon. “I’d love to spend the day with you and Toby.”

  “Actually, Libby offered to take Toby for the day.
”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like a treat.” He kissed her. “I’ll pick Toby up from the café at eight tomorrow.”

  “See you then.”

  Elle shut the door behind him and locked it. Then let out a sigh.

  It had been an amazing night.

  She’d had a fantastic time with three women who she hoped would become her friends.

  Then she’d been kissed almost senseless by a man who made her feel good about herself, who made her laugh and made her want. And who understood that she wasn’t ready for more.

  Her life was definitely looking brighter.

  She couldn’t have asked for anything more.

  ***

  George couldn’t wait to meet Elle the next morning. Despite the late night, he was awake early, already thinking about what they could do on their day together the next weekend. He wanted to woo her and turn the day into something special.

  At half-past seven he walked into the café. Elle was making coffee for the line of customers wanting a take-out and his heart gave a little jump. She looked tired, her eyes weren’t quite as bright as normal, but still she was gorgeous. He joined the line so he could get some coffee for him and his dad. Toby must be in the back room playing.

  When it was his turn at the counter, Elle blinked.

  “Morning, Elle.”

  “George, I didn’t see you come in.” She brushed back a loose strand of hair from her face and then smoothed down the front of her apron.

  “Can I get a couple of lattes to go?”

  “Sure. Why don’t you go and get Toby and I’ll bring them in?”

  George handed over some money and Elle waved it away.

  “No, you can have coffee on the house since you’ll be with Toby all day. You’ll need the fuel.”

  “I’m not taking free coffee, Elle.” She needed the money more than he did.

  “No.” She gave him a look that said she wasn’t going to argue.

  George frowned and then spotted the tip jar. He slipped the money inside. “All right.”

  Elle glared at him but he smiled and wandered back to where Toby was playing in the room.

  Toby didn’t notice him at first and George stood at the door. The kid was playing with his horse and cowboy as usual.