by June Faver
Dixie scooted one of the glasses toward Ava. “Be careful, honey.”
Ava took the glass in both hands and lifted it to her lips.
Beau tried to soak up every molecule of the child. He longed to touch the red curls cascading around her cherubic face. He longed to become her father in every sense of the word.
He managed to swallow, although his throat was constricted. “Thank you.”
Dixie nodded. “It was time.” She took a deep breath and blew it out.
“I don’t want you to think I’ve changed my mind about returning to Dallas after this year is over. I won’t abandon my mom. I mean, she’s always stood by me.”
Beau felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. The air had been sucked from his lungs. “Back to Dallas?” he gasped. “I—I had hoped you might want to get settled in here.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I have to keep moving forward. I can’t go back.” She shrugged. “I have a life there. Friends and different interests.”
He swallowed hard. His stomach tightened like a fist. It wasn’t fair. He’d just met his daughter. Surely he should have a chance to get to know her—surely he should get a chance to win Dixie back. After all, they had a child between them. That should count for something. “I see.”
Dixie’s cheeks reddened. She gazed at her hands and then swept the curls back from Ava’s forehead.
“Well, I hope you figure out that you have a lot of friends here. Me, for instance.” Beau’s stomach clenched. “I—I want you to be happy.”
“Thanks.” Her voice dropped to a lower level. She turned to Ava and placed her phone in front of her. “You can play your game, honey.”
Ava grinned and began poking the screen, accompanied by a rush of music that brought a circus to mind, but she seemed to be totally engrossed.
“Can I ask you a question?” Beau tried to keep his voice low.
“Sure.”
He glanced at Ava. “Could you please give us a chance?”
Her lips tightened, and she shot him a look of pure venom. “What right do you have to ask me that question?”
He reached out a hand and lightly stroked it over Ava’s hair.
Ava looked up at him and grinned. An amazing, dimpled grin that ground its way into his soul.
“I guess it’s because I’ve always been in love with you and I don’t see how you could stop loving me. I don’t see how you could have left me and not told me about Ava.” He spoke carefully, not raising his voice or giving any hint about how he was raging inside. Nothing that a child might pick up on. Nice and easy.
Dixie stood up suddenly. “How dare you ask me that question?”
“I dare because I have nothing to lose. I died inside when you left me. Surely you knew how much I loved you…I still do.”
* * *
He looks so hurt. How can he look so hurt?
Dixie stared at Beau. He looked incredibly earnest. If she didn’t know better, she would buy into his innocent act.
She exhaled slowly, trying to control her temper. She couldn’t lose control in front of her daughter. This was a bad idea.
“I know you used to love me,” he said. “I just don’t know when you quit.”
“I think we’re done here.” She turned to Ava. “Drink up, honey. We need to go.”
Ava looked disappointed but handed over the phone and finished her juice. She grinned at Beau before she set the glass on the table.
Beau held out his hands, and Ava reached up for him, a sweet smile on her face. He lifted her in his arms. “Ava, you sure are a pretty girl. Can I give you a hug?”
She nodded and threw her arms around his neck.
Dixie watched this interaction with growing apprehension. Oh, no. She really likes him.
Beau put his hand on the back of Ava’s head and kissed her cheek.
Are those tears in his eyes? “I can take her now.” She reached for her daughter, but Ava had a stranglehold on Beau’s neck.
“I’ll take her to your car.” His voice was low and controlled.
Dixie regarded him coolly. “All right.” She fished her keys out of her purse and turned to leave. At the front door, Beau reached around and opened it for her. Always a gentleman…at least for show.
She fumbled for the car key and clicked the remote. She was surprised when Beau opened the back door and placed Ava in her car seat. She was grinning at him, her eyes alight.
“You be a good girl, okay?” His voice sounded sincere, like he really cared.
Ava nodded furiously. “I will,” she crowed.
With obvious reluctance, he closed the door and then turned to Dixie expectantly.
“Okay, then.” She took a step back. “I’ll see you around.”
Something flickered in his eyes. “Damned right you will.” He stepped forward, pulling her into his arms. His intense gaze held her in place as he lowered his mouth to hers.
A whimper escaped her throat as their lips touched. She had forgotten how his kisses made her feel. She seemed to be melting into him through no will of her own. His tongue plundered her mouth. Long-dormant feelings roiled through her body.
He threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her in place. His kiss deepened, stirring an ache low in her belly.
Mindlessly, her arms circled his neck as her pulse throbbed in her ears. She pulled away, gasping for air. “No,” she wailed. “I can’t do this. Let me go.”
He held her for a moment, the blue eyes stripping away her barriers, and then dropped his arms and stepped away.
Dixie climbed into her SUV and tried to close the door behind her, but Beau stepped in close.
“I love you, Dixie, and I love that little girl. You can’t just disappear on me again. It’s not right.”
She huffed out an impatient breath. “You have some way of showing it.” Reaching for the door handle, she was relieved when he moved out of the way. She slammed the door, hit the door lock, and turned the key in the ignition.
Glancing back, she saw that Ava was grinning and blowing kisses to Beau.
This was a mistake. This was a terrible mistake. She pulled away from the house and made for the highway, all the while aware that Beau had awakened the feelings she thought she had buried. With one kiss, one very long and passionate kiss, he had taken her back to that place where she had been so very much in love with him.
* * *
He stood on the porch, watching the burgundy SUV as it drove out of sight. A cloud of dust trailed behind. A profound sense of loss surged through him.
When Big Jim and Colton returned to the ranch, they stomped into the house, laughing and obviously enjoying themselves. It was Colt who noticed Beau’s silence.
“What’s up, Little Brother? You look like a storm cloud.” Colt tossed his Stetson on the hat rack beside the door.
Beau remained tight-lipped, unwilling to share his pain.
Big Jim raised a brow. “What happened? What’s got your panties in a wad?” He slung an arm around Beau’s shoulder and swept him along as he made his way to the kitchen.
Beau shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Big Jim and Colton glanced at each other. “Dixie Moore,” they said in unison. Big Jim took three longnecks out of the fridge and set them on the granite countertop.
Colton reached for a bottle and leaned back against the kitchen counter. “C’mon. Bro. Get it off your chest. What did she do this time?”
Beau heaved a sigh. “She came over.”
Big Jim’s fierce brows rose. He made a scornful sound at the back of his throat. “Well, she didn’t burn the place down. That’s a good thing.” He took a seat on one of the stools and flipped the cap off his beer.
“What did she want?” Colton regarded him with curiosity.
�
�Dixie came to see me.” Unexpected tears sprang to his eyes. He gave them a swipe with the back of his hand and then pinched the bridge of his nose to quell the tears. “She brought my daughter.”
Big Jim came off the stool. “Your daughter? She brought the girl here?”
Colton turned to Beau. “Dad told me your big news. Congratulations, Little Brother.”
Beau nodded. “Ava is beautiful. She looks like Dixie did when she was a little girl, except—”
“Except what?” Colton had frozen in place, one of his big paws gripping the beer bottle.
“Except Ava has blue eyes.”
Big Jim sat back down on the stool, grinning. “And that’s a good thing, Son. Good news, indeed.” He and Colton clinked their bottles together. “Prettiest little girl I’ve ever laid eyes on.” He took a long swallow of beer.
“Congratulations, Bro.” Colton lifted his bottle. “Nothin’ better than kids.”
“So, when do I get to spend some time with my granddaughter? I mean, officially?”
“I have no idea. Dixie told me she was planning to go back to Dallas after the year is up. She says she can’t abandon her mother…but she could abandon me easily enough.”
“Bad idea.” Big Jim let out an exasperated huff. “What are you going to do about it?”
Beau shrugged and left the kitchen. He grabbed his hat from the rack and stepped outside. He wasn’t sure what he could do about the situation, but he couldn’t just sit around brooding. He thought better on his feet, so his feet took him to his truck. He swung into the cab and started the motor. Not sure where he was headed, he drove toward the highway. The sun was just setting in the western sky, sending long fingers of salmon and purple reaching across the horizon.
He drove into Langston and made a circle of the town square. The businesses had mostly closed up, with only restaurants and bars showing signs of life. He thought about stopping in somewhere, but he wasn’t hungry and not in the mood to socialize.
He made another circle and then headed back out of town. Once on the highway, he figured out where he wanted to go.
* * *
Dixie showered and pulled on a long tee-type nightgown. She looked in on Ava, who slept soundly, one arm flung over her head, the other embracing a plush toy.
A rush of warmth flooded her chest. I love you so much. Still grinning, she had just silently closed the door when she heard the sound of tires on the gravel drive.
The fact that she and her daughter were alone on this vast ranch hit home. A tingle of fear spiraled around her spine. Who could be coming to call so late at night? She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Not the time to panic. Her dad had kept a rack of weapons in his study. Hopefully, the array of rifles and shotguns were still loaded. Unfortunately, her ever-responsible dad did not have any loaded weapons in his home office, and she had no idea where he’d kept the ammunition.
Well, whatever. Maybe the appearance of being armed would be enough. She gathered her courage and grabbed a rifle. Without turning on any lights, she crept toward the front of the house. Best to face the intruder head-on.
Peeking out the front window, she recognized Beau’s truck as it came to a stop and the headlights were turned off. The vehicle stood like a silver behemoth, shining in the bright moonlight.
She froze, unable to think. A sense of numbness settled over her, followed by a flood of emotion. She had felt so empowered when she took Ava to see him, but now she was paralyzed.
She didn’t think she could face him again. She wasn’t prepared. Above all, she had to keep Beau from discovering how his kiss had affected her. “I’m over him.” The sound of her own voice startled her. “Yes, I’m over you, Beau Garrett.” she whispered.
Warily, she watched him open the driver’s-side door and climb out. He took a stance, feet apart, hands fisted on hips, seemingly staring at the house.
A shiver ran through her, and this time it wasn’t fear. Just seeing the broad set of his shoulders and the well-filled Wranglers caused a roiling in her nether regions. She huffed out a breath. “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She propped the rifle against the wall and let the curtain fall into place.
Dixie flipped the light switch and threw open the front door. “Beau, what are you doing here?” She leaned against the doorjamb and crossed her arms over her chest.
Beau lifted his chin. A smile flicked across his mouth.
Oh, that mouth. Dixie swallowed again.
He walked toward her, taking long, athletic strides, quickening her heartbeat with every step nearer. “Dixie…” His voice rolled out, deep and intimate. “I needed to see you.”
“N—needed to see me?” She heard the catch in her own voice and straightened her spine.
“Yeah.” He strode through the doorway, managing to gather her in an embrace, lift her off her bare feet, and kick the door closed with one booted heel.
Just like that.
Her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest. Staring up into his eyes, she understood the meaning of weak in the knees.
He gazed at her mouth as though it was the last cookie on the plate, yet he held back, prolonging her misery.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake. Just kiss me!”
The smile went wall to wall. “Yes, ma’am.” He lowered his head, brushing her lips with his gently at first and then attacking her mouth hungrily.
She couldn’t think…couldn’t breathe. It was as though Beau was infused into every molecule of her being. Wrenching her mouth away, she tried to assemble her thoughts. “Wait! What—what was it you wanted?”
He let out a snort. “You…I want you.” He found her lips again and kissed her all the way across the room, where he lowered her onto the sofa. “Ava…where is she?” His voice was ragged with desire.
“Asleep—in her bed.” Her breath came in gasps. “Oooh.”
He was touching her in places she hadn’t been touched in a while. His hand slipped under her nightshirt, gliding from her thigh and up to her hip. “You stopped wearing panties?”
“I was on my way to bed.”
“Good idea.” He scooped her up and headed down the hall toward the bedrooms.
“Stop! Where are you going?” she hissed.
“Your room.”
“No, Ava is sleeping there.”
He paused in the hallway. “Where then?”
She clung to his shoulders, her heart throbbing in her ears. “The guest room. Take me there.” She pointed to the room at the end of the hall.
He quickly covered the distance and leaned down for Dixie to twist open the doorknob.
The door swung open slowly, noiselessly. It felt unused, empty for eons. Beau carried her inside and closed the door behind them. Placing her on the bed, he landed beside her, his weight causing the bed to bounce.
With no preamble, he pulled her to him and took possession of her mouth, sucking her lower lip into his mouth and working it with his tongue.
She emitted a low moan, just as his kiss deepened. His hands skimmed her body, the thin cotton knit nightshirt doing little to hide her nipples’ eager response to his touch. She pushed him back, sitting up. “Listen here, cowboy…one of us is definitely wearing too many clothes.” She concentrated on unbuttoning his shirt, aware that he was staring at her like a puma ready to pounce.
He stripped his western belt out of the loops of his Wranglers, unzipped them, and pulled his shirt tail out. How helpful.
Dixie pushed his shirt off his shoulders, her fingertips grazing his warm, muscled skin.
He shrugged out of the shirt and then stripped the nightshirt off over her head. His gaze skimmed over her body, causing her to shiver.
A wave of shyness washed over her. The last time he’d seen her naked she had been seventeen. Now she’d had a child and weighed a bit more.
He stroked
his hand over her body, cupping a breast and circling her nipple with his thumb. “How can one woman be so beautiful?”
A flush of ridiculous pleasure washed through her, while a blush painted her cheeks. “That’s nice of you to say.”
“Aw, Dixie. You’ve never been stuck on yourself, but someday you gotta look in the mirror. You are a complete hottie.”
She made the mistake of looking into his eyes, and felt herself being pulled in—hypnotized by his magnetism. Having no will of her own, she reached for him, slipping her arms around his neck and pulling him toward her.
Their lips met in a kiss that set fire to the kindling that had been ignored for so long. An aching passion swirled low in her belly.
He pulled away and quickly started removing his remaining clothes.
Damn! He’s even hotter naked. She noted the well-developed muscles in his shoulders and arms. Not an ounce of fat. His abs were beyond six-pack. Maybe a twelve-pack. As he worked to remove his boots and divest himself of the rest of his clothing, he was unknowingly giving her a show.
Once free, he turned to her, encircling her in his arms.
“Wait! Wait, dammit!” she said.
A wry grin lifted one side of his mouth. “What am I waiting for?”
She laughed, noting he was obviously more than ready to jump on her. “Do you have some protection? I don’t think we’re in a position to make another baby.”
His grin went full throttle. “I’m willing. I’ll make all the babies you want and love every single one of ’em.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Beau, seriously—”
“Right here, baby. I gotcha covered.” He reached for his Wranglers and pulled out a handful of colorfully packaged condoms.
“How many times are you planning to—” She stopped short.
“I want to make sure you’re satisfied.” He winked and swept her into his arms.
She fell back onto the bed, taking Beau with her. His warm flesh seeming to melt against her. She arched her back, rubbing her nipples against the light dusting of hair on his chest.
He sucked in a breath and lowered himself on top of her. He kissed her neck. He kissed her shoulder. He kissed her breasts, suckling each nipple in turn. He started to move lower, but she sank her fingers into his thick hair, holding him in place. “Hold on, cowboy. I’ve had enough of the appetizer. If you’re intent on satisfying me, I’m ready for the main course.” She wrapped her legs around him to make her point.
