by Lori Wilde
“You know, I’m not going to cut off your head. You don’t need to act as if you’re going to your own funeral.”
Annie walked inside and sat in one of the leather chairs facing the desk. She supposed she could argue with his assessment, but there really wasn’t much point. Instead, she decided to ignore his comment and concentrate on the purpose of the meeting.
“So, what are these ideas?”
Tyler raised one eyebrow and gave her a questioning look. When she forced herself to maintain eye contact, he eventually sighed and sat behind the desk.
“Okay. I think for starters we need to do everything we talked about today and more. We’ll have a lot more room now, so we can think about handling different breeds. I know quarter horses have been all you’ve handled, but now we can think about other possibilities.”
Annie kept herself from saying no immediately. She needed to keep an open mind about the change. “How many other breeds are you talking about?”
“I think we should do some research and then decide, but as we’re adding more buildings, we also need to keep this possible change in mind.” Tyler leaned forward, his expression one of confidence. No wonder he was so good at persuading juries to go along with him. When he spoke, she was tempted to believe everything he said. He seemed so certain, almost as if he had his own personal view directly into the future.
But he could be wrong. It happened all the time to confident, successful people. They made mistakes like everyone else did.
“What about money? This type of expansion will be costly.”
“I’ll supply the money,” he said.
His easy dismissal of the potential problem bothered her. “Tyler, that’s a lot of money. What if we’re wrong? You could lose a fortune.”
He shrugged casually, reminding Annie how little money meant to him. Tyler had always had money, so he probably thought he’d never be without it. For his sake, she had to talk some sense into him.
“You can’t afford to lose that much money. No one can.”
“I can always make more money,” he said quietly.
Of course he could. He had another job to fall back on. She knew she also had another job as a backup. But Brett didn’t. “I think we need to find out what Brett think about all this,” she said.
Tyler walked around the desk until he stood directly in front of her chair. The tension in the air made her nervous, but she kept silent. Finally, he said, “Nothing will happen that all three of us don’t agree on. Moreover, Annie, nothing will happen that you don’t want.”
His soft, deep voice made the words seem to carry a whole different meaning than just changes to the business. From the way her body reacted to that voice, he might have been talking about what would happen between them.
Looking at him, she felt the all-too-familiar coil of longing unfurl inside her. When he got that gleam in his eyes and looked at her like she was the only woman in the world, she had to fight the desire to melt into a puddle at his feet. Even knowing he was talking about the business didn’t stop her breathing from becoming shallow and her fingers from tingling at the thought of touching him. For all she knew, he was using the attraction she felt for him to keep her off-balance. She studied his face, looking for some sign of deceit in his deep brown eyes. Instead, she found her own desire mirrored there.
Drat, why did this still happen to her, after all these years? Why couldn’t they just sit in the room with each other without the persistent awareness surrounding them like a blanket?
“I’ll think about what you said,” she finally managed to say, although her voice was far from steady.
He moved toward her, one hand outstretched. “Annie, I really think—”
The door opened then, and Judith said, “Excuse me for interrupting, but Courtney’s asking for you.”
Annie turned toward the older woman. Judith had perfect timing. She used the distraction for all it was worth.
“Thanks.” Slipping from her chair, Annie barely managed to escape without brushing up against Tyler.
If Tyler was disappointed by her behavior, he didn’t show it. After locating her daughter, Annie found everyone sitting outside by the pool. Keeping a close eye on the adventurous toddler, she sat next to Judith. Throughout the rest of the evening, whenever she felt Tyler watching her, she’d duck her head and kiss the top of Courtney’s blond head. By the end of the night, she knew he was becoming frustrated, but she didn’t care.
Courtney had long since drifted off to sleep when Annie convinced Judith that she and Courtney needed to leave. Annie cradled the little girl’s sleeping body close to her and snagged the baby bag on her way to the door.
“You ready to go?” Tyler asked. “I’ll grab my keys.”
At the sound of Tyler’s voice, Annie stopped. Double drat, she’d forgotten he’d driven. Glancing over her shoulder, she let her gaze finally rest on his handsome face. “I’m set when you are.”
Not surprisingly, the crooked grin he gave her was almost her undoing.
Annie waited while he brushed a kiss on his mother’s cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”
After Annie thanked Judith, she headed toward the front door. Tyler met her there and lifted Courtney from her arms. “This little girl sure gets heavy when she sleeps.”
“Tell me about it.” Annie followed him to his truck, refusing to think about the ride home. While he secured Courtney in her car seat, Annie climbed into the passenger seat.
“Are you going to be silent the whole way to your house?” Tyler asked once they were on the road.
“I’m tired.”
“Hmm,” was all he said.
Thankfully, they soon reached her driveway. Tyler parked next to Annie’s car and then climbed out of the truck. Without being asked, Tyler got Courtney out of the car seat and walked to the front porch with the sleeping girl cradled in his arms. Annie shifted the baby bag to the other shoulder, intending on taking Courtney from him, but Tyler moved the child out of her reach and shook his head.
“I’ll take her in and put her to bed,” he said.
A million things occurred to Annie to say, most notably that she didn’t really need his help. Like most mothers, she was used to carrying her child. But the overhead lights on the porch let her see Tyler’s face clearly, and she knew any argument on her part would be a waste of time. He had that determined male look she’d learned long ago only led to a useless discussion. The best way to handle this would be to get him out of her house as quickly as possible. Standing here in a circle of light surrounded by silent darkness was a situation bound to lead to trouble.
After unlocking the door, Annie pushed it open and then held it for Tyler as he shouldered his way inside and then headed down the hall to Courtney’s room.
“You should get an alarm system installed,” Tyler said softly when they reached Courtney’s room.
“I don’t need an alarm,” she said. Crossing to the dresser next to the crib, Annie took out a lightweight pajama set and then gingerly removed Courtney’s jumper and t-shirt. Tyler leaned against the wall near the crib, but Annie kept her attention focused on changing Courtney.
Why didn’t he go home? Surely he was tired. She sure was; she felt like she hadn’t slept for days. Even Courtney was so tired she didn’t stir while being changed.
Tyler didn’t say anything else until she settled her still sleeping daughter in her bed. He followed her out of the bedroom and down the hall to the living room.
“I’d offer you something to drink, but all I have in the house at the moment is apple juice, milk, and water,” she said.
Tyler stood in front of her, his hands on his hips. He looked frustrated, and he probably was.
“I don’t want anything to drink. Annie, why do you have to be so stubborn about everything? You should have an alarm to protect yourself and your daughter.”
Annie rubbed a tired hand across her forehead. “Look, if I put a mental bookmark at this point in the conversation, and I p
romise we can pick it up in the morning where we left off tonight, can we let it go?”
Tyler sighed. “Sometimes I feel like a man poking holes in his own life raft,” he muttered.
Confused, Annie watched as he crossed the room to stand in front of her. Then, without comment, he asked, “May I kiss you?”
Annie blinked. She hadn’t expected this. “What?”
“I don’t want to swoop in for a kiss you if you don’t want me to, but boy, do I ever want to kiss you,” he said. “So may I?”
Annie would have laughed if the sensual expression on his face hadn’t sucked all the air out of her lungs. For a few moments, she struggled to find her voice. Finally, she said, “Sure.”
The kiss was gentle, coaxing. Annie was confused about so many things, but not about this. Not about this kiss nor about the tingling sensation his caress evoked in her. She made no move to end the kiss, enjoying the sweet contact. Why did Tyler have this effect on her? He could turn her insides to jelly with just the lightest of kisses. He didn’t even hold her in his arms. Instead, his hands remained by his sides.
Annie was unsure how long they kissed. Eventually, slowly, he raised his head, his gaze meeting and holding hers. Neither of them shattered the fragile silence surrounding them. But in that timeless moment, Annie felt as if their souls connected. And she knew she was teetering on the brink of falling for this man again.
Still without speaking, Tyler walked to the front door. “I’m serious. We need to talk about this soon,” was all he said. Then he walked out the front door, closing it behind him. Standing in her darkened home, Annie fought conflicting feelings of desire and fear. What in the world was she going to do?
Chapter Eight
Things weren’t working out, Tyler decided a few days later. Despite them both agreeing to talk about the attraction they felt for each other, they were simply too busy to find the time to do just that. Each time they tried to set up a time to talk, something came up.
The world seemed to be against them. On the plus side, though, the business was taking off. He’d found quite a few new buyers when he’d taken a short trip to Dallas. They’d also come up with ideas for other breeds they’d consider and what buildings they’d need in the near future. Whenever he had a suggestion, Annie gave him the benefit of the doubt . . . well, after she first made him justify his opinion. But if he could back up his ideas with hard facts, she would listen, and often agree.
“So you think about this spot?” Annie asked. They’d walked over to a location beyond the barn on Tyler’s ranch where Brett thought a new storage room should be built.
“I think it’s great,” Brett said.
Annie looked at him and groaned. “Of course, you do. You recommended it.”
Tyler walked around the area. “Should work. It’s close to the barn.”
Brett jumped in. “This building will enable us to use our old barn just for sick horses. We can move everything else to your ranch, Tyler.”
“You want the sick horses so far away from everything else? Shouldn’t someone be near them at all times?” Annie asked.
“I will be close,” Brett said.
“Not at night,” Annie pointed out. “Your apartment is miles away, as is my house and Tyler’s house.”
“Well, about that . . .” Brett scratched the side of his face, then eventually said, “I’ve been talking to Dad and Mom about buying their place.”
Tyler might not be the smartest rooster on the farm, but even he knew this conversation might not go well. He looked at Annie, but he couldn’t tell from her expression how she felt about this new development. Why didn’t the people in her family share things with her? Seemed mean.
“I see,” she said. “Then your plan should work.”
With that, she started walking back to the barn. Brett and Tyler fell in step with her. Tyler would give anything to know what Annie was thinking. But she didn’t say anything, and Tyler wasn’t about to ask.
When they got back to Tyler’s barn, Brett headed over to the stalls. Tyler hesitated for a moment, then followed Annie to the small office she’d set up in the back.
“Go ahead and say it,” he said once she was sitting behind the desk.
“Say what?”
Her expression might be one of confusion, but Tyler would bet his best boots that Annie had an opinion about this sale. “What do you think about your folks selling their house to Brett?”
She shrugged. “It’s fine.” When he gave her a pointed look, she added, “I was surprised.”
Tyler sat in the chair facing her desk. “That he was buying it?”
With a small shake of her head, she said, “That they were selling. I didn’t know they had definitely decided to leave Falling Star. I know they’ve been talking about Tahiti, but I thought Brett and I had convinced them they needed to visit first. They have to learn what would be involved if they wanted to live there. It’s not as simple as moving to Florida or Arizona.”
“You should talk to them,” he said.
“I will.” She glanced out the door, then said, “Mind closing that?”
Tyler had a feeling he knew why she’d asked, so he did as she said. After the door was closed, he sat back down. “Want to talk about us?”
She looked at him, her hazel gaze unwavering. “Yes.”
“Good idea. So what do you think?”
A small smile appeared on her face. “No way. I’m not going first.”
“But it’s the polite thing to do—let ladies go first,” he said with a smile.
She laughed at his comment. “No. Not on this. What are your thoughts?”
He admitted the truth. “I’d like to date again.”
His response seemed to surprise her. For a moment, she just looked at him. Then she said, “And what happens if we break up? What happens to the business?”
He hadn’t really thought about that. But now that she brought it up, he realized it was a good point. “We’d have to agree not to let it impact the business.”
After sitting quietly for a few seconds, she said, “I don’t think I could do that. I’d have to sell my part of the business.”
Once again, she surprised him. “First off, I hate to start dating thinking only about what happens if it doesn’t work out.”
“But we have to do it,” she said. “It’s the mature thing to do.”
She was right and he knew it. “Fine. If we break up, I’ll sell my part of the business. You and Brett can still work it.”
With a shake of her head, she said, “No. I’d have to sell. Brett and I wouldn’t be able to buy you out. I have a backup, my bookkeeping, so I’d be fine.”
When he realized she was adamant, he relented. “Fine. I’ll buy you out.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.” He stood, shaking his head. “I have to say this was the least romantic conversation I’ve ever had.”
“But the most adult,” she pointed out.
She was right, but man, he hated that they had already planned what would happen if they failed. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we never have to follow this plan.”
His comment earned him a small smile. “I will too.”
“Okay. So you want to go out?”
Before she could answer, Brett burst in the door. He seemed surprised that Tyler was in the office with Annie. “Oops. Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Annie said, then added, “Tyler and I are going on a date.”
Tyler had to laugh at the comical expression on Brett’s face. “I know. It’s a surprise.”
Brett shook his head. “Yes and no. I knew you two should get back together. The whole town knew that. I just never thought you’d be smart enough to figure that out.”
“Gee, thanks,” Annie said dryly.
“So when are you going out? Where are you going? Do you need a babysitter? Let me know if I can help. I’m a relationship guru,” Brett maintained.
This time, Annie laughed. Loudly
. “You’re kidding, right? You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, and you’re the last person to discuss relationships. You’ve only recently started dating women who are old enough to vote.”
Tyler couldn’t prevent a chuckle from escaping him. Annie had a point—Brett’s dates did tend to be young.
Brett frowned at his sister. “Fine. I’ll back off, if that’s what you want. But remember, I’m available for babysitting.” Then he winked at Tyler. “I’m glad you two are steaming each other’s glasses again.”
With the pronouncement, Brett left. Tyler could hear him whistling as he walked the length of the barn.
“Well, if nothing else, we’ve amused your brother.”
“True.” She looked at him, her expression worried. “I wonder why he came in. He never said.”
Tyler looked at the door, then back at her. “True. I’ll hunt him down and ask.”
“Are we making a mistake?”
Tyler had been heading for the door, but now he stopped, rooted to the spot. He had so many decisions to make in his life right now. Was it fair to get involved with Annie? He knew he wanted to, but was that a good enough reason?
“I’m not sure we can avoid it,” he admitted. “I have trouble thinking of anything but you these days. I’m constantly distracted when you’re near.”
His response seemed to surprise her. For several moments, she just looked at him. Then she smiled and said, “Really?”
He chuckled. “Don’t sound so surprised. You’ve always driven me crazy, Annie. You still do.”
“Then let’s go out on a date,” she said.
Tyler grinned. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this happy.
**
“We lost the babysitter,” Tyler said the second Annie opened the door. “Brett can’t make it, so he called your parents, who can’t make it, so they called my mother, who can’t make it.”
Annie took the news in stride. “Well, then we’ll have to have a different kind of date.”
Tyler was glad she didn’t call off the date. He wanted to see her, and it didn’t matter to him if Courtney was with them.
The door still blocked his view of everything except Annie’s face, but he knew she wasn’t ready for their date yet. Her hair hung in cute uncombed curls around her head, and her skin glowed like it had been recently scrubbed.
