“Hey, Mom. Chase needs to go back to the lumberyard. Can I go?”
“Sure.”
“Hi, Mr. Patterson.”
“Hello, son,” Jerry said, tugging on Ryan’s hat. “Looks like you’re getting quite the tree house.”
Mallory knew Ryan had never cared for Jerry’s teasing. “Yeah, it is.”
She jumped in. “Ryan, go wash up, then you can leave.” She nudged her son toward the house, but then saw Chase was approaching them. The day was just getting worse. He put on his shirt and was buttoning it.
Jerry smiled. “Looks like I get to meet the guy who finally caught Mallory’s attention.” He held out his hand. “Jerry Patterson.”
“Chase Landon.” He shook the offered hand.
“You’re a lucky man to win a gal like Mallory.”
Mallory’s heart pounded as Chase’s gaze caught hers. “Yes, I am lucky.” He took two steps and stood beside her, then slipped his arm around her. “And Ryan’s a bonus, too.” He looked down at her upturned face.
Was he going to go along with her fib? “I was just telling Jerry that you came to visit.” She shrugged. “He just sort of guessed something was going on.” She laughed nervously.
“It’s kind of hard to hide my feelings.” He placed a quick kiss on her mouth. “Right, darlin’?”
“Well, I can see I’m not wanted here.” Jerry tipped his hat then walked to his truck. Smiling, they both kept watching as the man climbed into the truck.
“You can let go,” Mallory insisted, glued to Chase’s side.
“Not yet,” he told her. “We need to prove to him that you’re taken.” He turned her in his arms and his mouth closed over hers.
CHAPTER SEVEN
MALLORY’S HEART RACED as Chase’s mouth captured hers in a hungry kiss. In an instant, she was lost in his arms, and wanting more. He didn’t disappoint her. When he ran his tongue over the seam of her lips, her hands found their way around his neck and she held on for the wild ride. She loved his familiar taste, the feelings he invoked in her. Inhaling his masculine scent of soap, sweat and pure Chase, she felt alive.
Finally he broke off the kiss, but stayed close and whispered, “You think we convinced him?”
“What?” Mallory opened her eyes to see his smoldering dark eyes. “Oh—” She stepped back. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
He raised an eyebrow. “The kiss? I thought you wanted Jerry to think you had a boyfriend. Didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did, but you didn’t need to…kiss me,” she stumbled over her words. “I was handling things just fine before you got here.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “Maybe so, but now he knows you’re taken.” He leaned closer. “No need to thank me, it was my pleasure.”
Before she could speak, Ryan came racing out of the house. “I’m ready to go.”
“Good.” He looked back at Mallory as Ryan ran off toward the truck. “Would you like to go with us? Maybe I can warn off any other guys who are interested in you.”
She was fuming. “Thank you, but I can handle things from now on. I need to catch up on some work, so I’ll stay here. I’m working on a list of horses for you to check out.”
“Good. I’m looking forward to it. See you later.” He hurried off to catch up with Ryan.
“Bye, Mom.” Her son waved.
She watched the two of them and her heart soared. The sad fact was as much as she wanted both of them, she could only have one. And soon, she’d have to share her son’s attention with his father.
Liz came up beside her. “So did Jerry decide on the colt?”
“Yeah. But you know Jerry, he doesn’t make the sale easy.”
“That’s because he’s sizing you up to be wife number three.”
“I quickly nixed that idea.”
“I know, I saw Chase.” Liz tipped her hat back. “Nothing like a big, handsome Texas Ranger to ward off any unwanted suitors.”
Oh, no. “I really didn’t plan for Chase to get involved. I just led Jerry in that direction, then Chase showed up and took it another step.”
“No kidding.” She grinned. “That was quite a kiss.”
Mallory was embarrassed. “It wasn’t what it looked like.”
“It looked like a kiss.” She released a sigh. “Like a mouthwatering, heart-stopping, one that leads-to-other-things, kiss.” She turned to Mallory. “Just admit you enjoyed it.”
Mallory couldn’t deny it. “Yes, I did.” She sobered. “But it still isn’t wise. Chase doesn’t feel—”
“There you go again, overanalyzing everything. Believe me, Mallory, from what I saw, Chase Landon didn’t act like that kiss was such a chore.”
“He’s still angry with me about Ryan.”
They started walking toward the house. “He probably is. But I also see how he looks at you, and I think that anger is his protection against his feelings. I’d say go after that man, he’s a keeper.”
Mallory didn’t want to think about starting up a relationship with Chase. He’d hurt her so badly before she couldn’t stand it again. “I went after him once before, and look how that turned out.”
Liz paused on the porch steps. “Yeah, you two got a great kid.”
“Do you think Mom will like it?” Ryan asked as he paused from hammering a nail in the railing. His baseball cap was turned backward on his head, exposing a face smudged with dirt, and tiny beads of sweat across his nose.
“What’s not to like?”
He grinned. “It’s so cool.”
Ryan raised his hand and they exchanged a high five.
“Yeah, cool.” Chase glanced over the solid tongue-and-groove pine flooring. The two-by-four railing was up all around the sides. The structure had been reinforced so many times, he’d lost count. But he wanted it safe for the boy, especially when he wasn’t around to protect him.
“Chase, when can the walls go up?”
“Not today. It’s getting too hot to work much later.”
Ryan looked disappointed. “What about tomorrow? Can we work on it then?”
Chase had been at the ranch for five days, and he’d counted himself lucky to spend most of that time with his son. “Sure. We’ll get it finished before I leave.”
The boy looked away, but not before he saw the sadness in his eyes.
“What’s the matter?” Chase asked.
Ryan shrugged. “I wish you didn’t have to go back to Midland. I like it that you’re here all the time.”
Chase liked that, too. “I have to go back, Ryan. I have a job. Just like you have to go back to school.”
He sighed. “I know….”
Chase took off his hat and wiped his forehead on his sleeve. He sat down on the edge of the platform, then patted the spot next to him. Ryan took the offered seat. “We’ve talked about this, son.” The endearment he called Ryan took on new meaning these days. “I’m only here for a visit. But I’ll see you again when you come to your grandfather’s ranch.”
“I know…it’s just that all my friends…Bobbie, Jason and Curt, they all got their dads around. I mean this is the first time I ever got to build something like this.” The boy tilted his head up to Chase, his throat worked hard as he swallowed. “’Cause I don’t have a dad.”
Chase fought his own emotions. “I’m sorry, Ryan. I know what that’s like. My dad wasn’t around, either.”
There was a long pause, then Ryan said, “You didn’t have anyone, either?”
“I had my uncle.”
The boy looked thoughtful. “I guess I have my grandpa, too.”
They sat there for a few minutes, then Ryan said, “I saw you kiss Mom…and I thought if you really like her maybe you’d come back a lot. I mean she’s really pretty….”
It was crazy, but Chase felt embarrassed. Not that he thought it was wrong to kiss Mallory. He just didn’t know how to explain his feelings to the boy. Not when he didn’t know himself.
The child went on to explain, “Mr. Pat
terson likes Mom, too, but I don’t like him.” He shook his head. “I’m glad you kissed her.”
Chase couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad I kissed her, too.”
Ryan’s eyes rounded. “So are you going to be her boyfriend?”
Chase didn’t want to deal with that question. He was still too mixed up about his anger. How could they start something, and keep it going when they lived so far apart? He tugged at Ryan’s baseball cap. “You ask too many questions.”
“I know, but I like talking to you. You know how guys talk.” The boy looked down again and poked his finger at one of the knots in the wood. “You know what else—I wish? That you were my dad.”
“Ryan…” Chase’s chest tightened, his throat dried up. He’d never experienced this feeling before. He wanted so badly to tell him the truth.
The boy still didn’t look at him. “I don’t remember my dad too much. I remember my mom used to cry a lot.”
“You remember that?”
Ryan jerked his head in a nod. “I mean, I was just a little kid, but I sort of remember she got scared. But then we came to live with Aunt Liz and everything was better. Except one time Mom had to talk to the sheriff…she didn’t let Dad come here.” His gaze met Chase’s. “You wouldn’t do that, because I know you’d be nice to her…and me.”
“Do you miss him?” Chase couldn’t manage to say the word, father.
“No.” His innocent gaze raised to Chase. “Is that bad?”
“No, it’s not bad.” He put his arm around Ryan’s shoulders and hugged him close. “A father should be there for his kid.” Chase was feeling his own guilt.
“I know. Mom says she’s sorry he wasn’t a better dad for me.” The boy sniffed. “I used to be sad because he didn’t want me…. Was it my fault that he didn’t like me?”
“Oh, Ryan, don’t ever think that. You’re a great kid. Anyone would be proud of you.”
“Really?”
Chase had to nod because he couldn’t get the words out. If there was any doubt before, there wasn’t any now. He loved this child.
“Hey, you two,” a familiar voice called. “How come you aren’t working?”
Chase looked down to see Mallory standing under the tree below.
Ryan stood up. “Hey, Mom. Look, the floor is done. But it’s too hot to work anymore today.”
“I don’t blame you,” she said. She glanced around at the structure, then turned to Chase. “It looks good.”
Chase’s emotions were still pretty raw, and a lot of it was directed at Mallory. “Does it meet your approval?”
“Yes, and it’s even better. Can’t wait to see it finished.”
“A few more days.”
“Well, since you’re finished for today, how about a swim?”
“Sure, but where?” Ryan asked.
“Bobbie’s mom called and invited us over for swimming and a barbecue.” She paused. “All of us.”
Ryan looked at Chase. “Wow. It’s like we’re a real family.”
Later that afternoon, Mallory sat at the edge of the shallow end of the Everetts’ pool. She was wearing a modest aqua-colored, one-piece suit, but she wasn’t keen on swimming with a half-dozen splashing kids. She’d leave that to Chase and Bobbie’s father, Robert.
“They should be exhausted by supper,” Meg Everett said as she sat down beside Mallory and dangled her feet in the water.
She was a pretty blonde with a warm smile and a friendly manner. She’d married her high school sweetheart and had two great kids, and was probably Mallory’s closest friend, outside of Liz.
“Oh, I don’t know. Ryan’s been going like this since school let out.”
For a long time they both watched the antics in the pool between the fathers and sons.
Meg spoke first. “I’ve never seen a Texas Ranger without his hat and badge. I’m impressed.”
It was hard not to be. Chase had wide shoulders and a muscular chest and that flat washboard stomach. A strange feeling stirred in her stomach. “They have to stay in shape,” she answered honestly.
“He seems to care about Ryan. They’re like father and son.” Meg turned to Mallory. “It’s really great, isn’t it?”
Meg wasn’t stupid. She could see the obvious, that the two were related. “So far, but it may not be down the road.”
Her friend smiled. “If I were you I wouldn’t let the man get very far away. It’s easy to see he cares about Ryan…and you.”
Mallory couldn’t think about a relationship with Chase. It was her son who needed a father. She didn’t need a man.
Suddenly a stream of cold water startled them. She looked out in the pool to catch Ryan and Chase smiling at her.
“Why not come in the water?” Chase asked.
“I’m fine right here.”
Robert and Bobbie appeared. “Come on, Mom,” Bobbie said, waving for Meg.
“I’m being summoned,” her friend said and waded in as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
Envious, Mallory watched the other couple at play. It seemed she wasn’t going to be left out as Chase came up to her. He stood in the shallow end, looking all tan and gorgeous. There was a swirl of dark hair on his perfectly sculpted chest. She had trouble breathing.
“If you won’t come into the water, I guess I’ll have to bring you.” She gasped as he scooped her up in his arms. She could hear Ryan’s cheers and laughter as Chase carried her to the deep end.
She ignored the cool water because Chase held her close. Too close. She could hear Ryan’s cheers.
“You think just because you’re stronger than me, you can manhandle me.”
“I’ve never manhandled a woman in my life,” he told her, then leaned in and whispered against her ear. “This is called gentle persuasion. Damn, but you feel good.”
She pulled back and looked at him as the water rose to their necks. “Maybe you should put me down.”
“No, you feel fine just where you are.”
“Mom…Mom…”
She jerked around to see Ryan and the other kids wrapped in their towels at the side of the pool. “We’re gonna go inside to play video games. You stay here with Chase and swim, okay?”
She managed a nod, then looked back at Chase. “Maybe I should get out, too.”
“You should stay here,” he told her. “Our son can entertain himself for a while.” He let go of her legs and turned her to face him. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”
“Chase…this isn’t a good idea.” She glanced at Robert and Meg. They were at the other end of the pool, cuddled together talking softly.
“Relax…just enjoy it.” His hand circled her legs and guided them around him. “We aren’t doing anything wrong…yet.”
Up close, she eyed him sternly. How could she relax with her body tucked against his? She found herself swaying forward as he pressed his hand in the small of her back, nudging her closer. Their eyes locked for a long time, his dark and smoky. Her fingers moved around his neck and locked together as his mouth dipped and pressed a kiss against her mouth. It was only a whisper of a touch before he pulled back.
“Hold on,” he told her, then he caught her by surprise. He pushed off backward, causing her to end up on top of him. With a gasp, she managed to tighten her grip around his neck. A warm shiver surged through her as her body made contact with every inch of him…intimately.
His gaze locked with hers, telling her he felt it, too. “It’s still there, Mallory. Whether we like or not, there’s something between us.”
She closed her eyes. At one time she’d have given anything to hear him say those words. “Please, Chase, just let it die. Too much has happened, too much resentment.”
He moved them to the side of the pool, gripping the ledge. “How can it be too late, Mal? Not when I lay awake at night, thinking about you, remembering how it was to make love to you.”
She sucked in a breath. “Chase, please…”
He didn’t stop. His hand moved over he
r back, keeping their bodies connected. “I can’t keep my hands off you. Even our son has noticed what’s going on. He saw me kissing you the other day.”
She glared at him. “What did he say?”
“He wants me to pursue you. He doesn’t like Jerry. I don’t either.”
“Well, it’s not your business.” She started to pull away, but he held her tight.
“You made it my business, Mallory. So if Ryan doesn’t like him around I don’t either.”
“So now you’re dictating who I date?”
“No, but I can do something to make you forget any other man.” His mouth captured hers in a hungry kiss. She wanted to protest, but telling herself that she didn’t want to make a scene in the pool, she didn’t stop him.
In truth, she wanted Chase to kiss her. And what did that make her? A woman still in love with a man who would never forgive her for not telling him about his son. She didn’t blame him. How could she when she couldn’t forgive herself.
It was after nine when the Everetts walked Chase and Mallory out to the truck. A giggling Ryan and Bobbie followed close behind.
Chase found he didn’t want this evening to end. He’d spent a nearly perfect day with his son…and Mallory. He also knew that he’d taken advantage of her when they’d been in the pool. He didn’t know what had come over him.
That was a big lie. Truth was, he’d never been able to resist Mallory Kendall. Nine years later, that hadn’t changed. Except there was more at stake now. His son’s future happiness.
Mallory turned to Meg. “Are you sure you want to keep Ryan overnight?”
“Yes, we do,” the blonde told her. “Bobbie’s been wanting this sleepover since Ryan got home.” She glanced at Chase. “It seems he’s been pretty busy with this secret project of his.”
“I’m sure Bobbie will get an invitation when it’s finished.”
“I think we’d all like to see it,” Robert told him.
“You will, right, Ryan?”
The boy came over to Chase. “Right. And I’ll be home tomorrow…early. Mr. Everett said he’ll take when me he goes to work.”
“I won’t start without you.”
“Okay.” Ryan glanced around at the group and motioned to Chase to follow him. Once alone, he said, “It looked like you and Mom had fun today.”
Texas Ranger Takes a Bride Page 9
