Daddy in Cowboy Boots (Montana Daddies Book 9)

by Laylah Roberts

  “What’s that?” she asked as she helped him pack everything away.

  “I know we haven’t known each other long, Mari-girl, but I like you.”

  “I like you too.” Guilt flooded her. As well as longing.

  He opened his mouth and suddenly, she didn’t want to know what he was going to say. She couldn’t bear it. She wasn’t sure if she was dreading him telling her that he liked her but as a friend. Or that he liked her and wanted more.

  Shoot. Saying yes to this picnic was definitely a bad idea.

  “I have to pee,” she said suddenly.

  Oh God, Marisol. Couldn’t you have told him something else? Anything else?

  She jumped to her feet and looked around as though she thought a toilet might magically appear out of thin air.

  Idiot.

  “Are you all right? Do you want me to drive you back to town?”

  “No. No, I got this,” she muttered. She really didn’t. She thought she might be losing her mind to be quite frank. But she stomped her way behind a bush. You are such a fool, Marisol. After a quick look around to make sure she was alone, she pulled her pants down and got on with things.

  Okay, how did one go about doing this? Did you sit? Crouch?

  “Mari-girl? You okay?” Linc called out.

  All right, even if he had been about to tell her that he wanted something more, she was guessing she’d likely turned him off by now. This wasn’t sexy or attractive. It was more than a bit embarrassing.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You ever peed behind a bush before?”

  “Who hasn’t? I mean, I’m an old hand at it.”

  “Are you lying to me, little one?” he asked.

  “I wouldn’t call it lying.”

  “Then what would you call it?”

  “Totally humiliated babbling,” she spat out. “This isn’t exactly something I’m comfortable with.”

  “Teeny, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” His voice was so soft and sweet that she felt her insides melt.

  Why did she have to meet him now? When everything was up in the air? When it was all a complete mess?

  Because fate hated her. She was certain of it.

  “Just squat right down so your hips are lower than your knees. If you can’t squat easily, we can find you a tree to lean against.”

  “No, I’m fine squatting.” She was not going to go on a hunt for a tree to pee against with him. How would that even go? What sort of tree qualified as a peeing tree? Nope. There had to be somewhere where she drew the line and that was it. No searching together for good spots to squat.

  Oh dear Lord.

  “Try to keep your clothes and feet out of the way so you don’t pee on them.” How could he sound so normal? Was this something he did every day? Coaxed someone on how to pee outside? And here she thought moving to the country, the only things she’d need to worry about were the different sorts of critters. She froze in a crouching position.

  “What if there’s a snake?” she asked in a high voice.

  “There’s a snake?” Now alarm filled his voice.

  “Not that I can see!” She glanced around frantically. “But what if one appears?”

  “Okay, Mari-girl. Calm down. I can hear you panicking from here.”

  Well. Yeah. She was freaking out. Peeing outdoors. Have snakes slither up on her while her pants were down. These were all new experiences and none of them good.

  “Snakes are more scared of you than you are of them.”

  “I really don’t think that’s possible.” Her thighs were starting to burn. She needed to start an exercise routine. Pronto.

  Not that she ever intended on repeating this experience again.

  Nope. Not happening. She should have just held on and risked peeing her pants.

  “Snakes aren’t really active this time of year, it’s too cold for them. But if you want, I can come keep watch for you?”

  “No! In fact, you should step away. Far away.”

  Last thing she needed was for him to hear her pee.

  “I’m not going too far away in case you need me. Just let go, Mari-girl. I’m not embarrassed. You shouldn’t be either.”

  Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one peeing behind a bush and making a fool of themselves.

  Finally, knowing she couldn’t crouch here much longer or she’d risk falling over, she forced herself to relax. She could hear Linc singing in the background as though he was trying to help her relax. What was he singing?

  Whatever it was, it did the trick. She finished up and then stood behind the bush, trying to wait for the embarrassment on her cheeks to fade.

  Come on, Marisol. You can do this.

  “Are you singing?” she asked as she walked back towards him.

  “Thought it might help,” he told her.

  “Well, it did. So thank you,” she replied quietly.

  Suddenly, something sharp pierced her foot and she let out a cry. Falling onto her ass, she grabbed at her foot, tears dripping down her face.

  “What is it? What happened?” he demanded.

  “I . . . I don’t k-know!” she wailed. He crouched and grabbed her foot, looking around.

  “Oh shit, you stood on a bee, teeny.”

  She sniffed, her foot was hot, burning. He turned it over and there was a red welt on her foot. Already it was starting to swell. He flicked the stinger away.

  “Ow. Ow. Owie.”

  “Oh, baby,” he crooned in sympathy. “Are you allergic?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Come on, let’s get your foot into the water. The cold will help.”

  Linc stood and she expected him to hold out a hand to help her up. Getting to the truck was going to be a pain in the ass. Instead, he reached down and pulled her up, bridal style, into his arms. She squeaked in surprise. But he carried her down to the river and then he let her feet drop. He held her around the waist as she stood on her good foot and let the other one float in the water.

  Oh, that was definitely better.

  “I have a first-aid kit in my truck. After I get you out of the water, I’ll run back and get it. It’s got some calamine lotion in it.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered quietly. She couldn’t believe how caring he was.

  Linc picked her up and carried her back to the picnic rug.

  “You don’t have to carry me,” she told him.

  “You can’t walk on that foot,” he pointed out. “Besides, I like carrying you.”

  He did?

  He grabbed some clean napkins and wet them in the river then came back and placed them on the bottom of her foot. Ahh, that felt so good.

  “Stay here, okay? Don’t move.” He gave her a warning look and she nodded.

  She definitely didn’t feel like moving anywhere right now. She held the wad of napkins against her foot as he grabbed the picnic basket and quickly disappeared.

  Way to make a complete mess of things, Marisol.

  9

  Linc made his way quickly back to the truck. He’d brought the basket with him because he wouldn’t be able to carry Marisol and it at the same time. He grabbed the first aid supplies he needed.

  This picnic wasn’t exactly shaping up how he thought it would.

  When he got back to her, she was where he’d left her. That was surprising. He had the feeling she wasn’t always the best at following orders.

  If she agreed to be his, they’d have to address that, as well as her lead foot.

  He had to do some research into diabetes. He could ask Doc for some information. He didn’t want to do anything to put her health in jeopardy. And there might be things he could do to help her.

  He hated the fact that she didn’t have everything she might need because she couldn’t afford it. He’d look into that as well. Even though he knew she wasn’t likely to let him help her financially, there had to be something that could be done.

  Not for the first time, he w
ondered how much her aunt was paying her. She drove a crappy car that was on its last legs. Her sandals looked like they were close to falling apart and her clothes weren’t in much better condition. She didn’t seem to have anything appropriate for the cooler climate here.

  There was something going on. Something he didn’t like. But he knew he had to tread carefully. Family could be a tricky thing to discuss. And he knew that she felt an obligation to her aunt for taking her in.

  He sat next to her and opened the first-aid kit. “Okay, let’s see what Doctor Linc has here to fix your boo-boos.”

  She sniffled sweetly and he drew out a pocket pack of tissues that he’d found in the glove box of his truck. He reached over and wiped her cheeks gently.

  “Oh.” She froze as he cleaned her up.

  “All good, Mari-girl?”

  “Yes, thank you.” She gave him a shy look.

  He wiped her nose and she reared back. “Linc!”

  “What? Do you need to blow?”

  “No.” She gave him a disgruntled look. “Can I have another tissue please?”

  He hid a smile. He’d get her comfortable enough with him eventually that she’d let him take care of her in all ways.

  Well, hopefully. If she reacted well to what he had to tell her. He grabbed an antihistamine and some of the bottled water he’d brought with him. “You’re okay to take some antihistamines?”

  “Yes, thank you.” She swallowed them down as he gently grasped hold of her foot.

  “Oh, poor darling, it’s really swollen, isn’t it?”

  She whimpered as he ran some cream over the red patch. “Does that hurt?”

  “Just a little bit,” she sniffled. “I’m sorry.”

  “Why are you sorry, little one?”

  “I kind of ruined the picnic, didn’t I?”

  “Hey.” Moving on instinct, he pulled her onto his lap. She tensed. “You didn’t ruin anything.” He ran his hand up and down her back. “If anyone is at fault, it’s me for letting you walk around without your sandals on. From now on, you wear shoes when you’re outside.”

  “This is hardly your fault and you didn’t let me do anything. I make my own decisions.”

  “Of course,” he agreed. “But I’m the kind of guy who likes to take care of people who are special to him.”

  “Your old-fashioned views?” she asked, losing some of her tension and leaning against his chest with a sigh.

  “Sort of. I want to ask you a question. You don’t have to answer it, but you mustn’t lie. All right?”

  “Yes, okay.”

  “Do any of those books you like to read have BDSM in them?”

  “Um, yes.” She squirmed around and he had to hold her still before it became obvious just how much he enjoyed having her on his lap.

  “Is there any aspect of BDSM that you particularly enjoy reading about?”

  “I . . . I guess so.”

  She didn’t elaborate. He decided to tread softly. The last thing he wanted was to send her running.

  “You don’t have to be embarrassed to tell me what you like, Marisol. I’d like to know everything about you.”

  “Why?” she breathed out. “I thought we were just friends?”

  “We are. And I know you said you couldn’t be anything more than friends. But I’m attracted to you. And I think you might feel the same way about me?” He pulled her back so he could look down into her face.

  She bit her lip but gave a small nod. “I don’t think there’s a woman alive who wouldn’t be attracted to you. There’s something about you. You can be sweet and funny, but also commanding and protective. I like the way you look after me. That you’re not trying to be someone you’re not. You can make fun of yourself. I think you like to be in control but you’re not a dick about it.”

  “I certainly hope I’m not,” he told her. “And if I ever am, you can tell me.”

  “I heard some gossip the other day at the spa.”

  “Oh.” Was she trying to change the subject? “Gossip?”

  She wiggled again. Christ, was she trying to kill him? He held her steady.

  “I don’t usually listen, but I was covering for Eileen who was sick. Mrs. Long and her friends were talking about the ranch. I didn’t put much credence in what they were saying.”

  “And what were they saying?” He knew Wilma Long and her friends. A bunch of narrow-minded women who made it their business to know everything that went on in Wishingbone. They weren’t nice people and he didn’t like Marisol being around them.

  Easy, man.

  “About how the men on the ranch are . . . well, that they spank the women.”

  Damn. It was hard to keep things that happened on the ranch completely quiet but he hadn’t realized anyone had discovered any details about how the people at Sanctuary lived.

  “Also that one woman lives with two men. I didn’t really believe that. I mean, that doesn’t happen in real life, right?”

  Oh, it did. Caley lived with the two docs and she was very happy with both of them. What she didn’t need, though, was to be gossiped about. She was a private person. They all were.

  “Are you okay? Should I not have mentioned it?” she asked worriedly, staring up at him in concern.

  “Did you tell anyone?” he asked sharply.

  Her eyes widened. “What? No, of course not. Who would I tell? I wouldn’t say anything anyway,” she told him with a frown. “It’s none of my business. But they did say they’d gone to the sheriff about it.”

  “What?” he snapped.

  “Yeah. Oh, Ed is the sheriff, isn’t he? Huh, guess he’s not such a bad guy. For a cop, that is.”

  “They went to Ed about a rumor they’d heard?”

  “Yeah. But don’t worry, he told them to mind their own business and stop making up stories.”

  Well, there was that at least. But Ed should have told him. Or Clint anyway. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to bother him while he was getting ready for his wedding. Linc would talk to Kent though, just to give him a heads up.

  It wasn’t like any of them cared what some small-minded people thought. But none of them would allow the women on Sanctuary to be slighted or upset.

  Maybe, for the foreseeable future, the women shouldn’t go into town without one of the men with them. It wasn’t like they often went in on their own so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

  “Linc? I really didn’t believe it. I enjoyed going to Sanctuary and meeting everyone the other evening. And Eden is one of my best customers.”

  Marisol looked worried as she stared up at him, chewing on her lip. Crap. He hadn’t reacted well. Of course she wouldn’t gossip, she wasn’t like those other women.

  “Shh, it’s okay. Sorry if I was a bit harsh. I just don’t want any of the women on Sanctuary to be hurt by rumors.”

  “That’s really sweet of you. I don’t want that either.”

  “Mrs. Long and her friends can be kind of . . .”

  “Judgmental? Mean?” she supplied.

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve seen it. She’s narrow-minded about a lot of things.”

  “Has she said something to you?” He frowned, not liking that.

  She shrugged. “First time she came into the spa, she wanted to know if I had papers to work here legally.”

  “That old bitch.” Anger flooded him. At least the women on Sanctuary had protection, but who did Marisol have? An aunt who frankly, seemed to be a complete bitch.

  “It’s okay. I’ve met plenty of people like that.”

  “That doesn’t make it all right. I don’t want you around that old bitch and her friends again.”

  “Like I said, they’re Eileen’s customers. I don’t have to deal with them much.”

  She shouldn’t have to deal with them at all. Linc glanced down at her, seeing her pale worried face. He needed to get her home. And talk to Kent.

  “Come on. Let’s get you home so you can sit with that foot up.”


  10

  She wished she’d never brought up that old bat, Mrs. Long. Linc had been quiet ever since. Did he now regret telling her that he was attracted to her? And how crazy was that? Why had he asked about whether her books had BDSM in them? And whether she liked any aspects?

  Was it because he was a Dom? She could totally see it. But if that was what he’d been about to confess, he’d obviously changed his mind because he hadn’t said a word about it since.

  “You moved into the Stanford place, right?” he asked as he drove through town.

  Oh shit.

  She couldn’t have him drop her off at home. Not when her aunt was likely to be around.

  “Um, yes, but just drop me back at the diner.”

  He gave her an incredulous look. “I can’t drop you at the diner. You can’t walk on your foot. You can’t even get your sandal back on it.”

  She looked down at her swollen foot

  “Maybe I should take you to Doc. I don’t like how swollen it is.”

  A doctor? No way was she going to a doctor for a bee sting. Besides, she’d already been away from the house long enough. Rosalind would be starting to wonder where she was.

  “It will be fine. No need for a doctor. You can just drop me off at the end of the driveway.”

  He gave her a strange look. “Not want to be seen with me, Mari-girl?”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Uh, no! That’s not the issue at all. Sheesh, how could you think that? Look at you. Then look at me. You could go into a competition for the Worlds Sexiest Cowboy and win. While I—”

  “I’m going to stop you right there, Mari-girl,” he said in a deep, commanding voice as he pulled onto her street. “Because I am pretty certain I am not going to like what was about to come out of your mouth.”

  She pressed her lips together as he turned into her driveway. Well, her aunt’s driveway. This wasn’t her home. She was given room and board and she should be grateful.

  Except she deserved more. She didn’t owe her aunt her life.

  “Mari-girl? Marisol? Are you all right?”

  She glanced over to find Linc had already stopped the truck and was reaching for her. He undid his seatbelt then reached over to grab her hand. He placed his fingers over her wrist. What was he doing?