StudinTexas (16 page)

Sky whisked away a few tears. Then she hugged Reese. “I hear
what you’re saying to me. And I’m grateful for your support.”

“So keep talking to the ladies in Austin that you meet
with,” Reese said. “Talk to me. Keep coming to the inn. And for God’s sake,
talk to Sam.”

She let out a sharp laugh. “That’s impossible. He’s busy
rescuing horses—as he should be.”

Sky already knew that after Sam dropped off the New Mexico
horse for Caleb to tend to, he was driving up to Washington state to pick up
another one. He’d be gone for a week, and then he was off to Nebraska.

“The two of you need to settle this, Sky.”

She pulled away and stared at Reese. “You think he’ll get
past this?”

“I think he’ll realize he has no choice. He loves you.”

Sky’s misty gaze narrowed on her friend. “Is that mere
speculation?”

“Yes. I mean, he hasn’t come out and told me that’s how he
feels about you, but it’s not too difficult to see he fell hard and fast.”

She had too, but didn’t say as much. Instead, she got back
to the original subject. “I’ll be sure to give you time to find someone new, if
I decide to leave.”

“I sure hope you put a lot of thought into this. Everyone
around here adores you, and you’re doing a great job. I’d hate to see you go,
you know that. So would Sam.”

“Laying low for a while is extremely appealing,” she
confessed. She’d bought a guitar and had started working on new songs. She
found it therapeutic and a good way to keep from thinking about Sam all the
damn time.

Reese said, “I’ve got a phone interview for the marketing
position.” She gave Sky a hug. “Don’t do anything hastily, please. Put some
more thought into this.”

“I will.”

After Reese left, Sky went down to the stable. She’d been
visiting Midnight more often, since Sam wasn’t around and she suspected the
stallion missed him.

She was running a bit late today, though.

“Dalton,” she said in greeting.

The mental health specialist grinned at her. “Good timing.
Your favorite horse was starting to get antsy. I was about to turn on the sound
system so he could hear your voice.”

“I’ll take care of him.”

* * * * *

Sam returned from Nebraska on an overcast Friday. He
considered going straight to the inn. It’d been a month since Willet had been
arrested and the news had died down, what with various other celebrity scandals
and news to eclipse what had happened to Sky. The first week had been a real
bitch, with Sam unable to buy something at a grocery store without seeing Sky’s
picture on the cover of a tabloid at the checkout stand, along with Willet’s
mug shot. The headlines drove him crazy. Made him sick to his stomach.

He hated everyone knowing her personal business. He hated
knowing it probably tore her up too. Mostly, he hated not being with her.

She wasn’t returning his calls, though he’d finally received
two text messages from her, saying she hoped the horse rescues went well. Sam
continually had to bite back the overwhelming desire to tell her that, somehow,
there had to be a way for them to find their way back to each other.

Maybe now that the sensationalism of what had happened to
her in Nashville was waning, they might be able to put it behind them.

He missed her something fierce. And there really wasn’t
anything Sam wanted more than to be with her again.

As he considered heading up to the inn, one of his
volunteers called out, “Sam, you’ve got a Michigan humane shelter on the phone
for you.”

He took the call in his office. While he discussed the
potential for a horse to be temporarily housed at the shelter before Sam came
and got him, he caught Sky out of the office window. She delivered more baked
goods to his staff. She and Dalton had a brief discussion, then she moved
farther into the stable.

Sam wrapped up his business, the rep from the shelter
agreeing to rescue the horse on his end and keep him until Sam made it out that
way.

With his insides knotted from the sight of Sky, Sam left his
office.

But Dalton pressed a hand to his chest to hold him back,
saying, “Give her some space. She’s been coming in while you’re gone, and
Midnight’s settled down from the night Willet let him out. Must’ve confused him
to be freed without a bridle and he wasn’t sure where to go without you or Sky
around.”

“Can’t blame him for that.”

Dalton’s arm dropped and he stepped back.

Sam returned his attention to Sky. She entered the stall and,
moments later, emerged with Midnight. They strolled casually down the wide
aisle. She walked alongside the horse as usual, neither leading him nor tugging
on the reins.

When they reached Sam and Dalton, she gave Sam a tight
smile. Her dark-blue eyes held myriad emotions, none of which he could read.

So he simply said, “Nice job, getting him back on track.”

“Took some doing,” she told him. “I think with you gone so
much, he needed supplemental companionship. We’ve bonded pretty solidly.”

She rubbed the horse’s nose with her free hand. He
snorted…almost playfully.

Dalton said, “They spend time at the pens so he can see the
other horses. I think he just likes being with Sky.”

She spoke softly to the horse and then they were on their
way out the oversized entrance.

Sam watched them go. A part of him felt optimistic for
Midnight’s sake, because of the progress he’d made. The other part felt an even
greater wedge between him and Sky than what she’d mentioned a while back. How
the hell was he supposed to remove it?

With much agitation, he waited around for her and Midnight
to return. She brushed the stallion and then cleaned up. Sam rested an elbow on
the ledge of Midnight’s gate and tried to appear casual as she came back to say
goodbye to the horse.

“I really am grateful you’re working with him when I’m
gone,” Sam said.

“You have horses to pick up. That’s a necessary function of
this ranch. I can pitch in when you’re away.”

Sam glanced around the stable, and Dalton suddenly made
himself scarce, stepping into the stall that housed the New Mexico horse, a
very tattered-looking Appaloosa.

“Reese said you might be leaving us.” Sam’s gut clenched at
the mere thought of Sky taking off.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel awkward being here. Like
every person I pass just wants to give me a hug.”

“Is that so bad?”

Her lips twisted in contemplation. Then she said, “In
theory, no. In reality, I’m constantly thinking that
they’re
thinking
about what could have happened here if you hadn’t reached me before Mac got me
in that boat of his.”

“John caught sight of the two of you from one of the cameras
when Willet dragged you from the corral.”

She nodded. “I heard.” She splayed her hand over his abs and
her fingers curled around the material of his shirt. “How painful was it for you
to see me lying on the beach? How painful was it for you to hear me talk about
Mac raping me?”

“Like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”

Sky blew out a breath.

He bent his head to hers, and whispered, “But I’m still
here, darlin’. Not going anywhere.”

His lips grazed her cheek and were about to brush over her
lips, but she released his shirt and stepped away.

She stared at him a moment, her eyes misting. Then she
turned and left the stable.

The next day, Sam poured over paperwork in his office. A
suitable task on a stormy Saturday afternoon.

Caleb popped in before dinner. He shook the rain off his
hat, plopped into a chair and rested his booted feet on Sam’s desk.

“Come on in. Make yourself at home,” Sam grumbled in a
sarcastic tone.

“Don’t mind if I do.”

“To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure of your boots on
my desk?”

Caleb chuckled, his mood infinitely lighter than Sam’s.
“Well, I just wrapped up an eval on Midnight with Dalton, and he’s convinced
the horse will be ready for adoption in a couple weeks. A month at the most.”

“Hmm. Good and bad news. I’m happy he’s recovered. Not so
thrilled he’ll be leaving us.”

Caleb eyed Sam curiously, saying, “You know Sky wants that
horse.”

He closed the file he’d been working on and set it aside.
“She’s staying out at the Wades’. Jack has a good-size property, but no horse
facilities. No corral.”

Caleb seemed to give this some thought, then told him, “You
have plenty of room on your slice of this ranch.”

Sam stared at him, incredulous. “You think I ought to build
on my land so I can keep a horse Sky will take care of?”

“Oh come on. You and I don’t want that horse going anywhere
any more than she does.
You
want to care for him too. But we need the
space here in the stable. Since he’s well enough to be moved,” Caleb said as he
dropped his feet to the floor, “the way I see it, you have two choices. Adopt
out the horse or board it. The latter comes with a bonus.” He winked
conspiratorially. “You get the pretty dessert chef coming down to your cottage
every day.”

Despite the appealing idea, Sam scoffed. “I am not going to
use a horse to bribe her into coming down to the cottage.”

“Well, whatever your current strategy is,” he said as he
stood, “it ain’t working for you, bro. I suggest a new game plan.”

Sam scowled as Caleb left the office.

It occurred to Sky, as the rain pelted the windowpanes of
the quaint cottage she rented from Jack, that she had no intention of leaving
the inn. If she was serious about it, she would have given Reese her resignation
by now.

Granted, she was wholeheartedly into her songwriting and
even considering some performances in Luckenbach. Plus, she’d started in on her
recipe book, which would be a work in progress for a while, yet something to
occupy her time. Despite her other interests, though, she did not have the
burning desire to walk away from her job at the Painted Horse. Now that word
had spread that the inn had a baker on staff, she was getting requests for
wedding cakes and other desserts for special functions. She was busier than
ever—and loving it.

The only downside was Sam. He was back from his latest trip.
Sky didn’t know for how long. Seeing him in the stable nearly a week ago had
been hell on her. Her pulse had raced, but her heart had constricted. There’d
been a tense air between them, and she hadn’t been able to decipher the look
he’d given her, other than seeing that he was impressed she’d helped to calm
Midnight after his recent ordeal.

Dalton had told her the horse would be ready for adoption
soon. That left Sky scrambling to come up with a plan, because she was filing
an application for him. The easiest solution would be to plop down another
manufactured home on the land in Luckenbach while she had a permanent house
built there. She could have the property landscaped and arrange for the
appropriate facilities and necessities to be set up in a relatively short
amount of time. A month from now, she could be prepared to bring the horse out.

But a little tickle in the back of her brain made her
hesitate to take Midnight from the ranch. No, she didn’t want anyone else
adopting him—and she was certain she’d get first dibs, given her relationship
with the horse and the fact that all of the parties concerned knew she’d take
excellent care of the stallion.

Yet she couldn’t deny he belonged at the Painted Horse. With
Sam close by.

So she made a split decision and picked up her cell phone.
She hit a speed dial number and everything inside of her melted when Sam
answered.

“Hey there, darlin’,” he said in his sexy drawl that made
her toes curl.

“Hey.” She tried to get her suddenly quick breathing to
slow. No such luck.

Sam said, “Can’t tell you how glad I am you called me.”

“I have a proposition I’d like you to consider.”

“Wouldn’t involve a horse, would it?”

She laughed, despite the perpetual knot in her stomach. “You
talked with Caleb?”

“He proposed I board Midnight for you on my part of the
ranch. Is that something you two discussed?”

“No. Actually, I’ve been considering taking Midnight—if the
adoption goes through—to Luckenbach. I’ll turn my property into the best
accommodations I can for him, but… Well, it’s just that… He doesn’t really
belong anywhere other than the ranch. Don’t you think?”

She heard a ruffling noise and figured he was settling more
comfortably in a chair or his sofa. That sofa they’d made love on. Christ it
seemed as though that night was a million years ago. As were all of the nights
they’d been together.

Sky suddenly forgot the reason for her call and momentarily
lost herself in the reminder of Sam’s hands all over her body. God, she missed
him. She missed his kisses. She missed having him inside her. She
missed…everything about him.

“You’re moving back to Luckenbach?”

He snatched her from her errant thoughts. The knot pulled
tight. “Yeah. Though, I don’t think I’m quitting the inn. I haven’t really made
a final decision on that.”

Sam was quiet a few seconds, then asked, “What are you
proposing?”

“Joint custody. That horse adores and trusts us both. And
the feelings are mutual, so why not keep him out at the ranch?”

More silence ensued. She would have given anything to see
his expression. What was he thinking? What was he feeling? What did he really
want?

He didn’t keep her in suspense for long. He said, “The
familiar setting and people would help to keep him at ease, I suspect. Aid in
even further recovery.”

“I think so too.” She gave a sigh of relief. Then she told
him, “I’ll pay for everything.”

“You know that’s not an issue.”

“We’ll work it out.”

“That’s not all we need to work out,” he said.

“I’m not ready to talk about this,” she told him.

“Are you ever going to be ready to talk about it?”

Sky rubbed her temple where a dull throbbing took up
residency. “I’m doing what you alluded to that night after Pietro’s. I joined a
group. It’s helpful. I’m trying to work it all out in my mind. My soul,” she
added with a pained laugh. “I don’t know. I guess more than anything, I’m just
really, really angry about everything that happened, and I have to find some
way to release all this anger.”

“And to stop blaming yourself.”

She swallowed hard. “I don’t know if that’s gonna go away.
Not when I’m constantly thinking about what could have gone wrong. Who could
have been hurt that night at the ranch, other than me.”

“No one was hurt, darlin’.”

She nodded, though of course he couldn’t see it. “Anyway,
I’ve got to go. Think about the joint custody. We can fill out the app
together—although, I guess that would only make Caleb chuckle under his breath
since you, he and Dalton are the ones who decide upon the new owners for each
horse.”

“He’ll get a kick out of it.” The line was silent for a
moment, then Sam said, “But it’s not necessary for me to file with you.
Regardless of what physical arrangement we make with Midnight, you know we’ll
grant you full ownership, right?”

Her breath caught. Her eyes squeezed shut. Then she said,
“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much that means to me, Sam. I love that
horse.”

I love you too.

The words echoing in her head took her by surprise. Sky
said, “I’ve got to go now. Thanks for considering a setup on your property for
the horse.”

“I want to keep talking, Sky. Maybe not tonight, but
regularly.”

“I have to go, Sam.”

She disconnected the call. Pulling her legs up to her chest,
her feet pressing against the cushion on the sofa, she rested her chin on a
knee and gave serious thought as to what to do about Sam Bennett.

Then she made another call.

“Skylar Anne Travis,” her father said when he opened his
front door and swept her into a bear hug. “What a wonderful surprise!”

Sky hung on tight, emotion washing over her. “Daddy. I’m so
sorry it’s been so long since I visited.”

“You’re a busy girl.”

She pulled away and said, “Never too busy for family. From
now on. I promise.” Turning to her sisters beside her on the porch, she added,
“Macy and Morgan wanted to see you too. We’d like to meet Tara.” The new
girlfriend. Although Sky suspected the relationship was more serious than her
father had let on, since he’d been so nervous to unveil Tara and have everyone
meet her, including his own sister, Ruby.

Bill Travis reached for her again and said in a low voice,
“I’ve been so worried about you, Sky. Even when you’ve called to say you’re
fine, I’ve been so concerned about you lately.”

“I know, Daddy.”

“Tara too,” he said. “She’s been ribbing me to take a trip
to Wilder to see you, but you kept saying you were all right and I didn’t want
to push too hard.”

“Daddy, it’s okay,” she insisted. “I’m getting through it
all. I’ve learned that I can’t pretend it didn’t happen or that no one knows
about it—I can’t hide out, hoping people will ignore it. I have to face the
whole situation and find a way to move past what happened to me in Nashville
and in Wilder.”

He squeezed her tighter.

“Daddy!” she squealed. “You’re crushing me!”

Immediately releasing her, he said, “Sorry. Sorry.” He
cupped her cheeks with his hands and added, “This isn’t an easy thing for a
father to deal with.”

“I know,” she said. “That’s why I’m here. To talk about it,
so you can get past it too. I spent last night with Macy and Morgan. They’ve been
upset as well. But we can deal with this as a family, right? Tara included?”

Through warm, watery brown eyes, he said, “You bet, kid.
It’ll all be okay.”

Tears tumbled down Sky’s cheeks, but being with her family
made her feel less off-kilter. They toured the house, she and her sisters
selected guest rooms and spent the weekend. Sky hadn’t felt this close to her
family since her mother had died, and though it was a tragedy that had brought
them together, as was sometimes the case with families, she knew their bond had
been strengthened by the outreach…and the acceptance on everyone’s side.

A week later, Sky had her first-ever Luckenbach singing
debut. She hadn’t yet found that place inside herself where she could belt out
the songs she’d recorded in Nashville, nor was her newer material ready for a
live audience, so her set was based solely on the songs from her first CD. No
one seemed to mind her performance didn’t include fresh and unexpected tunes.
They sang along with her, danced, cheered and made her feel right at home—in
Luckenbach tradition.

Her sisters were in attendance, as well as her father and
Tara. Sky hadn’t told anyone other than them that she was performing. She
needed to get a strong set down pat before she invited Reese and Caleb out.

She finished up and left the stage, to the overwhelming hugs
and wells wishes of the crowd, which choked her up. Then the main attraction
hit the stage, the lead singer of the Waylon Jennings tribute band stepping up
to the microphone, clapping her up again, then asking, “Y’all know Sky opened
for the late, great Waylon not long before he passed.” He glanced down at Sky
in the front row and continued. “Why don’t you come on up here and help out on
a few songs?”

The crowd erupted. Sky grinned. She went back onstage and
said, “I’d be honored.”

They started with a fan favorite, the theme from
The
Dukes of Hazzard.
Then, at someone’s request in the audience, she covered
Jessi Colter’s hit,
I’m Not Lisa.
Sky had loved the song since the first
time she’d heard her mother play it, long before she’d heard Jessi sing it
live. As she looked out into the throng of people, she found her dad smiling
approvingly. Though there was a hint of nostalgia on his face, his arm was
draped over Tara’s shoulders and she grinned too.

Sky accompanied the band on a few more tunes, then
graciously dismissed herself and let them do their thing.

Macy and Morgan fawned over her.

Macy asked, “How’d you end up with all the talent in the
family?”

With a laugh, Sky reminded her, “You and Morgan are up ’n
coming artists with the sort of following most painters well beyond your years
would kill for.”

They had a joint showing in a prominent Austin gallery in
less than a month that Sky had promised to attend.

“I always wanted to dance,” Morgan said. “But somehow, I
ended up with the two left feet in the family.”

“Speaking of dancing…”

A familiar, sensual drawl oozed down Sky’s spine the way it
had months ago, when she’d first set foot on the grounds of the Painted Horse
Ranch & Inn.

She whirled around and found Sam standing behind her, a sexy
grin on his face that made his emerald eyes glow and caused everything inside
her to light up like a Texas Fourth of July night sky.

She could barely breathe at the sight of him, but managed to
ask, “What are you doing here?”

He gestured casually toward the stage and said, “Waylon
Jennings tribute band on the calendar. Where else would you be tonight?”

Sky smiled. “Right.”

Morgan indiscreetly cleared her throat. “Who’s the
good-lookin’ cowboy?”

Sky made all the introductions.

Then the lead singer announced, “We have a special request
that ya’ll will like.”

The band launched into Waylon’s
Luckenbach, Texas
(Back
to the Basics of Love)
and Sky’s smile widened. Her heart fluttered.

Sam took her hand and asked, “You’ll dance with me, right?”

“Yes.” It was the only word she could work around the
emotion in her throat.

“If you’ll excuse us,” he said to her family. “I’m guessing
this is one of her favorites.”

He led her to the outskirts of the conglomeration of dancers
and general audience, finding a nice, private space under a tree. He pulled her
close to him and twined his fingers with hers, resting their hands against his
chest while his other arm wrapped around her waist. He held her tight as they
moved to the music.

“You guessed right, cowboy.”

His lips grazed her temple and he said, “I’ve tried being
patient, but like you, I’m not good at waiting around. I know what I want, Sky,
and I can’t for the life of me figure out how to sit back and wait for it to
come to me.”

She stared up at him, the tingles running rampant through
her body again. The way they’d done when she’d first met Sam. The sensation had
vanished for a while, as she’d worked through the complication of the Mac
Willet aftershock. But with them returning full force tonight, she couldn’t
help but see that as a good sign. A damn good sign.

“
It
being me.”

He nodded.

Sky’s lips pressed together for a moment. Then she said,
“Interesting song you picked.”

It wasn’t just about leaving behind the oppression of high society—obviously
something Sam had conquered when it came to his roots. It was about
reconnecting and grasping the more basics elements of life—and love.

“Don’t leave the inn,” he said in a quiet voice. “Sing here.
Visit your family. Do whatever you want, darlin’, but stay on at the ranch.
Stay with me.”