When her mouth opened over his, he jumped at the chance make her feel even a tenth of what he was feeling, his tongue tangling with hers, driving the heat of the kiss a few notches higher. And it was working. She moaned and pressed herself against his hard length, wrapping her arms around his neck. He plucked the clip from her hair, buried his hands in the sodden strands. It slipped through his finger like wet silk as he stroked her shoulders and lightly massaged her back until he reached her bare midriff.
Soft. Lord but she was soft. He wanted to touch every inch of her, trace the well-defined muscles of her arms, feel the weight of her breasts in his hands, know the strength of her thighs as they gripped his hips. He cupped her bottom, pressing her firmly against him so she would know exactly what she did to him. She moaned, thrusting her tongue into his mouth with increased ardor. He had a fleeting thought of stopping before things went too far but he couldn’t bring himself let her go.
He relinquished her mouth and nuzzled her neck, inhaling the scent of peaches and soapy water. Maybe he could get her inside and up the stairs to the master bathroom. Strip the wet clothes from their bodies and rinse off the mud before sinking into the big slipper tub Jack had installed the year before her death. Just him and Haley, the mirrors foggy with the heated water. They’d take their time washing each other, hands slippery with soap, gliding over limbs, stroking curves and planes…
He never heard Ezzie, the youngest of the Dooley children, until she came pelting around the corner shouting, “Water fight, water fight!”
Wyatt knew a moment of total frustration when Haley rolled off him like she’d been scalded and he knew he had to do something quick before she shut down. “That’s right, little bit,” he said, raising the hose. “You wanna play?” He pointed the sprayer at her and gave her a good soaking. Ezzie howled with delight and threw herself at him. Within seconds, all four Dooley kids were on scene, wading in and everybody was rolling around like a bunch of farm animals, screaming and laughing. An alarmed Dooley and Maria came running to the rescue, backing away before they could be dragged into the mess.
“What the devil…” Dooley jammed his hands on his hips. “I swear. And the two of you are supposed to be grownups.”
Maria merely folded her arms over her ample chest and tapped her foot in the rapidly spreading puddle. “Wasting water in Texas.” She shook her head then pointed at her children. “Home. All of you, and to the shower.”
Wyatt pressed his lips together, hoping he looked contrite, but didn’t miss the fact that Haley’s foreman was practically biting his lip to keep from laughing. When Maria stalked away, Dooley looked at him and shook his head. “Wyatt, I do believe a grown man shouldn’t be such a poor influence on children and impressionable young women.” He turned on his heel, his shoulders shaking as he walked away.
Wyatt looked at Haley, snorting with laughter as she pressed her hands over her mouth. He pushed himself to his feet and offered her his hand. “Come on, darlin’, we’d better get ourselves cleaned off and finish washing this truck before he comes back with a switch.”
When they were done, he sloshed back to his truck and headed home, after reminding Haley he’d be there first thing in the morning, and they’d have breakfast in town before making the fifty-mile drive to Kerrville. Despite the misery of wet jeans and soggy boots, he was happier than he’d been in a long time.
* * * * *
Margie’s Diner was packed with ranchers and cowboys now that the spring roundup was over. Haley couldn’t remember a time when she’d gotten so many speculative glances, nor could she understand why people found her so interesting. Sure, she was new in town, but she would have figured some of the novelty had worn off by now. After all, she’d been all over Junction, putting in orders for feed and hay, stopping at the farm store for parts. Out of all the unfamiliar faces, there was one she recognized—Holden Petrie—and she smiled when he approached their table.
“Mind if I join you?”
Wyatt smiled affably. “Any time, Holden.”
“Please,” Haley said. “I was gonna call and make an appointment to see you.”
Holden chuckled. “Well, you can find me here most any morning. Can’t get enough of Margie’s blueberry pancakes.” He turned his coffee cup up when the waitress approached with a fresh pot of the brew. “What can I do for ya, Haley?”
Haley held up her own cup and smiled at the waitress. The woman looked her right in the eye, then filled Wyatt’s cup first.
“Hey, Wyatt. How you doing, darlin’?” The waitress threw her a smug look and overfilled her coffee to the point that some of the steaming liquid splashed against Haley’s hand.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” the waitress cooed. “Lemme get you a cool rag.”
“Not a problem,” Haley told the woman. “My hands ain’t that delicate. Manual labor, you know…I’m pretty tough.” Haley held the woman’s gaze as she patted her hand dry, leaving no doubt that she knew exactly what the waitress was up to.
The woman looked down at Haley’s bluntly trimmed nails. “Yes, I can see that. You know, Thelma’s Cut and Curl has a gal that does nails. You might wanna go get yourself a manicure.”
Haley smiled sweetly. “Maybe I will. I could get me some of them fake nails. You know, just in case I need to scratch somebody’s eyes out.” She kept the pleasant smile on her face as Wyatt choked on his coffee and Holden snorted out a chuckle. “Thanks for the advice…darlin’.”
The older woman swept the table with a glance and snapped her gum. “Y’all ready to order?”
They all ordered blueberry pancakes and Haley admitted, “I’m not generally a big pancake fan but I figure it’ll be easier to tell if she spits in my food.”
Wyatt gave her a horrified look. “Helen wouldn’t do that.” He glanced at Holden for confirmation. “Would she?”
The lawyer grinned. “Well, she sure seems to have taken a dislike for Haley here.” He gestured toward her with his cup. “Helen’s always had a thing for you, Wyatt. You ain’t noticed that from the way she talks to you?”
Haley snickered when Wyatt blinked. “Hell no. Why would I? The woman’s…well, let’s just say she’s got a reputation for being free with her affections. Or so I hear tell.”
Now Haley choked on her coffee. “Wyatt Brody. That’s a horrible thing to say.”
“That may be, sugar, but it don’t mean it’s not true. Helen’s made a career of looking for love in all the wrong places.”
Holden turned to Haley. “You wanted to talk to me?”
“Yes, sir. I’m thinking I might ought to go ahead and sell that roadhouse. I got no interest in running a bar. “
Holden looked up and nodded as Helen came back with three plates of blueberry pancakes. They each eyeballed the plate the woman set in front of Haley, looking for telltale signs she’d messed with Haley’s food.
“I’ll swap you,” Holden said, reaching for Haley’s plate. “Looks like you got more blueberries than I did.” Helen didn’t react suspiciously but Holden took Haley’s plate anyway. “Just so happens I may know one or two folks interested in buying the place. I’ll make a few calls and let you know.” He forked up a big mouthful of pancakes and sighed. “So where you kids off to today?”
“Going into Kerrville to get Haley set up with some office equipment. That dinosaur Jack called a computer won’t last much longer and Haley’s gonna need the proper equipment to start her business.” Wyatt gave Haley a nod. “Probably ought to have Holden start working on the paperwork to incorporate.”
Haley pointed to her mouth, which was filled with blueberry pancakes. She chewed and swallowed.
“Good idea. I’ll call and set up appointment. But I do have a question about something we talked about that day in your office.”
“Shoot,” the attorney said, reaching for his coffee.
“It’s about Aunt Jack’s death. You said the sheriff was suspicious but the coroner ruled it an accident. You got an opinion as to what happened?�
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Holden set his cup down and nodded solemnly. “I think she was pushed.”
Haley closed her eyes and took a calming breath. “Why?”
“Jack was barely into her sixties.” Haley didn’t miss it when the lawyer cut a glance toward Wyatt. Did they both know more than they were saying? “She was in good shape, you understand. Worked hard, ate right, didn’t smoke, hardly drank. No history of heart problems or high blood pressure. No reason she’d be lightheaded. And she knew every inch of that barn. No way would she misjudge the edge of that hayloft. The scuffmarks the sheriff found tell me there was some kind of scuffle. Way I figure it, she got into a tussle with someone and lost her balance—or was pushed.”
Haley sat stock-still for a moment. “Who do you figure for it?”
Holden shook his head. “That’s just it. People in this town loved Jack. Didn’t have any disputes with anyone that I know of, and you know something like that would make it to the rumor mill, just like you having supper with the local vet. My first thought was your daddy but then I found out he was incarcerated. So I have to assume it was a stranger.”
Haley met Wyatt’s gaze, then looked away. Someone had probably killed her aunt. A stranger? Or someone her pa had hired? The pancakes turned to unpalatable goo in her mouth. She swallowed with difficulty and pushed her plate away. She’d be having a long, hard look at that hayloft as soon as she could. She glanced at Wyatt’s plate and noted he’d pushed his away as well.
“Guess I’m ready when you are,” she told him, then turned to Holden. “Thank you for the information. I’ll call and make an appointment.”
* * * * *
“Wow, this place is something else.” Haley had never actually been inside a store like it.
“Seriously? You’ve never been to a Best Buy?”
Haley’s face heated and she shrugged. “Never had the need. Never had the money for a laptop so if I needed to use a computer, I just went to the local library.” She laughed when Wyatt rubbed his hands together with glee.
“Come on, sweet pea.” He grabbed her hand and led her toward the computer department. “Let’s introduce you to technology.”
There were so many different brands of computers and printers that Haley’s head was spinning by the time they settled on one Wyatt assured her was the best system for her needs. She wound up getting the insurance and extended warranty since she was afraid she’d manage to screw it up somehow. For a printer, she went with an all in one that did everything but make her morning coffee, then added a color laser printer so she could make up brochures for her business.
Wyatt also talked her into purchasing a phone that had two lines, one for home and one for business. When it came to cell phones, Haley insisted they keep it simple. Why would she need to go online on her phone when she had a computer at home? They compromised by purchasing one that allowed her to text and was Bluetooth compatible, though why she needed Bluetooth she didn’t know. The last thing she wanted was another leash. She’d lived most of her life on the end of her father’s tether.
“Okay, can we look around some?” Haley asked, after the finished in the computer section. “I’ve always wanted one of them iPods and I think I’d like to get a television.”
Wyatt goggled at her. “You don’t have a TV?”
“Nope. Just that old thing Jack had and it ain’t gonna last much longer. Oh, and I want one of them flat screen things. A good sized one so I can watch the Cowboys play.”
“A girl after my own heart.” Wyatt slung an arm around her shoulder and guided her to the television section.
A couple of hours later, Haley felt a little shell-shocked by the amount of money she’d spent. Wyatt opened the truck door and waited for her climb inside. He chuckled when he slid behind the wheel.
“Feeling a little sick to your stomach, are you?”
Haley blinked several times. “I think I threw up in my mouth a little. Holy crow that was a lot of money. Why didn’t you stop me when I bought that surround sound thing?”
Wyatt laughed. “Pure selfishness on my part. One, because it did my heart good to see you doing something for yourself for a change, especially since you can afford it now. Two, I’ll be parking my ass on your couch during football season.” He held out his hand. “Lemme see that cell phone.” She handed it to him and he pulled the car charger out of the bag. Using his knife, he opened the package and plugged in the phone to start it charging. “Now, let’s go have ourselves some lunch, then we’ll get on back and start settin’ up all your loot.”
“Should we leave all this stuff in the truck while we go inside and eat?”
“Good point.” He grinned. “I know just the place.”
They settled on a little taqueria with a walk up window where Wyatt ordered a dozen pork soft tacos, chips and guac, and a big carton of Mexican rice. They sat on the tailgate, the food stacked between them, swinging their legs as Wyatt talked about HTML code and jpeg pictures. It was all Greek to her but she liked the sound of his voice. She had to confess that she liked everything about him and those feelings were growing as she got to know him better. Much as she hated to admit it, she felt as if she were fighting a losing battle to keep her heart safe. Truth was, she liked the way he made her feel.
“Are you listening to a word I’m saying?” he asked, reaching for another taco.
Haley giggled. She actually giggled, a sound she never expected to hear coming from her mouth. She dipped a chip into the guac and popped it in her mouth, talking around it. “You lost me at HTML code but that’s okay. I like listening to you talk.”
He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into a quick kiss. His mouth lingered a moment so he could nibble on her bottom lip.
“So, you think all that techno talk is sexy, huh?”
She shook her head. In for a penny, in for a pound. “No, I think you’re sexy.” Heat raced to her cheeks and she’d have pulled away if his hand hadn’t tightened on her neck. “I can’t believe I said that.”
He rested his forehead against hers and sighed. “It’s okay, sweet pea, I feel the same way about you.” He let her go and dug another taco out of the bag. “Eat up. We got a long night ahead of us. It’s gonna take a spell to get all that stuff set up.”
* * * * *
Wyatt had to force himself not to grin all the way home. Haley thought he was sexy. Only God knew what that statement had cost her. She was not a woman to confess her feelings and she didn’t give her trust lightly. He figured he’d be wading into some pretty deep water if he took the next step with her, but damn if he wasn’t ready to plow through right up to his neck. He wanted her. And he didn’t just want her body. He wanted all of her. Everything she was willing to give him. And that made his stomach clench a little just thinking about it.
He backed the truck up to the porch and Haley slid out the driver’s door behind him. He couldn’t help himself. He reached for her and she went willingly, arms twining around his neck. He kissed her.
She tasted of guacamole with a sweet hint of Coca-Cola. She was one of the few women he knew that didn’t insist on diet drinks. She didn’t drink soda very often, she’d declared at lunch, so if she was going to drink it she was damn sure going enjoy it. He deepened the kiss, flicking his tongue between her teeth to the sweet, moist depths of her mouth. She uttered a sigh and followed his lead, leaning into his kiss.
Damn but she tasted good. Felt good, pressed up against him like she was. His hands skimmed her back, slid beneath the hem of her t-shirt to caress her warm skin, moved around to cup her lace-covered breasts. She moaned and he raised her shirt, running his fingers over the tops of her breasts. Lord have mercy but she was soft. His mouth left hers to nibble at her neck while he flicked open the front clasp of her bra. Her breasts fell into his hands and he thought he’d never felt anything so soft in his life. He lifted her onto the truck’s seat and took a breast into his mouth. A tiny gasp escaped her as she arched into his mouth and into the
hand teasing her other breast. She buried her fingers in his hair, holding him against her.
Her whispered, “Oh god, yes,” was Wyatt’s undoing. He worked the button and zipper, grateful to whoever designed low-rise jeans as he slide his fingers beneath soft denim and satiny panties. She was hot and wet and it was all he could do not to strip her bare and bury himself inside her slippery heat. He stroked between her swollen pussy lips, teasing her clit as her hips moved with the rhythm he set. All he could think about was making her come—until he heard someone whistling a tune off-key. Shit. “Dooley’s coming,” he whispered. He yanked her shirt back down and turned, blocking her from view so she could tuck herself back into her clothes.
Wyatt scowled at Dooley who mirrored the look right back at him. Obviously, the older man disapproved, which pissed Wyatt off because it meant his friend thought Wyatt’s intentions were less than honorable. Truth to tell, a couple of minutes ago they were less than honorable. He’d been prepared to strip off Haley’s jeans and have her on the front seat of his truck. He took a deep breath and nodded at Haley’s foreman.
“Dooley.”
“Wyatt.” Dooley shook off his attitude. “Heard y’all pull up. Thought you could use some help unloading.” He looked at the bed of the truck. “Looks like you two bought out the store.”
“Gave it a good try.” Haley’s warm hand landed on his back and stepped aside to let her out of the truck. She smiled at Dooley despite her red-cheeked embarrassment. “Reckon we could use some help unloading. Fact of the matter is, we could probably use some help getting Haley’s new TV and home theater set up if you’re of a mind.”
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