Texas Hope: Sweetgrass Springs Stories (Texas Heroes Book 16) (16 page)

He’d been happiest in the muck and coated with fur and feathers. He’d simply learned to clean up before he went to the dinner table, then conducted appropriate conversations while his mind drifted to whatever patient needed him most.

The battle to be himself, to carve out the life he wanted, had required years, but in the end he’d won.

So you don’t stand a chance, sweetheart. I developed patience over years’ worth of waiting.

And I never give up
.

This time was harder in many ways, however. There was a burn in his blood for this woman. He was more than ready to make her his, to be with her every day.

But he understood that you have to let a bird fly until he’s ready to come to you. That a terrified squirrel can be brought to feed from your hand, but not if you rush him. That a horse can panic and hurt himself if you are hasty in his gentling.

And you, my fine lady, are as wild and frightened as any of them.

But you can trust me. I just have to prove it to you.

Then Laken stirred and stretched. He could see when she realized she was not in bed alone, and he debated. He was ready for her—he was always ready to have her.

But sometimes a wise man let his quarry come to him.

So though his body roared its protest as he left her warm and inviting flesh, he knew he had to do it.

For now, at least.

Then her slender hand stroked his flank. “Where do you think you’re going?” Her voice was a husky lure.

He looked over his shoulder. “Don’t you have to get to work?”

Lines appeared between her brows. “I’m a partner now, if a junior one. I have some leeway.” She rose to her knees and slid her arms around him from behind, her sweet breasts against the flesh of his back.

Michael squeezed his eyes shut and grappled for some of that patience he’d sworn he possessed.

Then one hand went wandering and found him. “My, my.” There was a cat-in-cream smile in her voice. “Turn around.” She curved her own body around his, her lips parted to take him in.

“Laken, I don’t think—” He tried to lean away, but even his far greater strength didn’t help.

She was sinuous and sneaky.

He gasped, and dug his fingers into her hair. “Laken—”

She paused in her ministrations for only a second. “Not a time for thinking, Michael.” She pushed at him, and he fell back on the mattress.

With the grin of a sorceress, she nibbled on her lower lip and scanned his body. “Mm-mm-mm…where shall I start?”

Before he could lever himself up and take control, she was on him.

And every last thought evaporated from his head.

Some time later as they lay gasping, Laken started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“The great and saintly Dr. Michael was just putty in my hands.” She half-rose and cast him a saucy grin.

She was so damn beautiful that he completely rushed his fences. “Come back with me, Laken. Please.”

Caution crept in and extinguished the glow. “Where?”

Damn it. But he was in the soup now. “You know where. Come with me to Sweetgrass Springs. Let me introduce you to my brother.”

She glanced away. “I have a big case.”

He clutched the wrecked sheets in his fists. “You’re always going to have a big case. You’re that good.”

Surprise lit her features.

“You don’t think I know how good you are? That I don’t appreciate it? I know you’re talented, Laken.” He was furious with himself for completely blowing his game plan. Since it was too late now, he put his heart in his eyes and his voice. “One weekend, that’s all I’m asking. Please.” And since he’d already screwed up so colossally, he went for broke. “Come see Ajax if you won’t come see me.”

Hurt warred with caution. “So you’re settled on this? It’s Brigadoon for you? And no other option stands a chance?”

“I didn’t say that.” But he heard the irritation in his tone. “There’s a practice in Fredericksburg I might be able to buy. We could meet halfway, have our house there.”

Her frown deepened.

Damn it, damn it. What else could he screw up?

“A house?” she echoed. “Michael, I live here. I have to live here.”

He lunged from the bed, started yanking on his jeans and searching for his boots. “No, that’s not true. You choose to live here. You could live somewhere else. There’s this handy little invention called the internet. There could be working here a few days a week when you have to have meetings or appear in court. There are all kinds of options, but apparently I’m the only one interested in being flexible.”

“Flexible?” she practically shrieked. “Who was it who announced—
announced
, not asked, mind you—that he was going to marry me last night?”

“And that irritates you. That I love you pisses you off.”

“Yes—no. Damn it, Michael, I don’t know. You make my head spin. You get in the way.”

“Of what?” he shot back. “Of spending nights down there,” he accused, pointing to the club. “Dancing while you size up your next meaningless encounter? Or cruising the warehouse district for the next body you’ll screw and then forget?”

He was shouting now, and she recoiled from the verbal slap.

“So that’s what you really think of me? I’m just a whore?”

“No—you’d never let them pay. You’d never give up that much control.”

“Get out.” Her voice was shaking with her fury.

And then the rage cleared from his eyes enough for him to see hers…and realize they were stricken. Shattered. “Laken, I—” He took a step toward her.

“Get out.” She clutched the sheet to herself, hiding from his view. “Or I will call the cops.”

Never, not once in his life had he ever intentionally hurt anyone.

And certainly not the woman he loved. He held out his palms. “Laken, I didn’t mean—” Her face was closed against him. Her entire body was defense. “I was—you hurt me, damn it. What is so worthless about my heart that you won’t even give us a chance?” The pain had teeth and claws. “I only want to love you.”

“And that’s how you show it? Tell me I’m a slut?”

Shame, deep and sharp, cut through him. “I didn’t mean it that way.” He exhaled hard. “I don’t always understand you. But I do love you.”

“You can’t possibly.” She looked away, shaking her head. “Please just…go.”

He stepped toward her again, aching to fix this, knowing a visceral fear that he never could—but damned if he was giving up now. He had little left to lose. “Tell me what haunts you. Tell me why you are so afraid of loving me.”

“I’m not afraid,” she countered immediately. “I just—I’ve seen how much love can damage.”

“When?”

“My mother fell in love and lost herself completely. Gave up everything for my father.” Her face was closed and hard, but fury sparked in her eyes. “And when he left her for a younger woman, there was nothing left of her. Love is cruel. I won’t ever risk that.”

“And here I say I love you and slap at you the way I did.” He hung his head, trying to beat his fear back, reaching for calm. Praying with every word that he could undo some of the damage. “I have never in my life spoken to anyone like that. I knew better than to ask you now to come with me, but I just want so damn bad to find a way for us.” Her gaze was so closed to him now. “You make it hard, Laken, because you won’t give an inch. But that’s your fear talking.” He looked straight at her. “I didn’t do anything to earn your trust just now, and I’ll regret that for the rest of my life. But I am not giving up on you, sweetheart. Not giving up on us.”

Then he forced himself to step back, heartsick at knowing she was out of his reach now. “The next move is yours. However much it scares the hell out of me that you’ll let your fears kill any chance we might have. I’m asking you, Laken, please don’t kill what we could have because you let your fear strangle hope before you’ve given us a chance. I’m not going to stop loving you, no matter how frightened you are.”

Then he turned and walked out, his heart heavy with dread.

Hoping to heaven she’d stop him.

But she did not.

Chapter Six

“T
esting, testing…1…2…3…Is this thing on, son?”

Harley Sykes’s voice boomed out from the radio Ruby kept in the kitchen of the diner, and Jeanette covered her ears. “Henry!”

Grinning widely, Henry crossed the kitchen at a run and twisted the volume dial. His gaze met Brenda’s. She was smiling broadly, too. “This ought to be fun.”

“What did you say?” Harley’s voice was slightly lower. “Oh, goodnight, nurse. There’s too many blasted dials and switches.”

Scarlett looked up from her chopping, eyes twinkling. “I’m sure they’ll be fine, Nana.”

“Two damned old fools,” Ruby muttered. “They’re not doing their broadcast from here. Ever.”

“Um…this is Arnold Howard from your hometown radio station, KSST, Sweetgrass Springs, Texas, 1470 on your AM dial. This first broadcast is dedicated to the love of my life, Ruby Gallagher Howard. I waited nigh onto twenty years for her, and it was worth every second.”

In the pause, Ruby’s cheeks reddened even as she muttered, “Blasted sentimental old fool.”

Scarlett knew better, though. She could see the answering pleasure in her grandmother’s eyes. “I think that’s sweet.”

“Whole silly idea is a mistake,” Ruby muttered.

Scarlett only smiled.

“Your turn, Harley,” Arnie said.

“What? Oh—Melba. Right. Melba, darlin’, your chicken fried steak may not come close to Ruby’s, but you make a mean sweet potato pie.”

Jeanette snickered into the silence. Ruby shook her head.

“Harley better not plan to go home tonight,” said Ian from the doorway.

Scarlett turned to see both Ian and his brother Michael entering the rear. Michael had returned to town more subdued than the man who’d left, but he didn’t want to discuss what was bothering him.

She wondered if it had to do with the woman he’d mentioned only briefly.

He was smiling right at this moment, however.

“So this here is our maiden broadcast of the Enigma Games Trading Post, sponsored by our very own Jackson Gallagher. We thought our very first item ought to be something special, but it’s a big decision to make. Arnie and me don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, after all.”

“Especially since they only have two items to begin with.” Jackson stood in his headquarters across the town square and watched the broadcast unfold.

“What does a sponsor do in a market like Sweetgrass?” his former head of marketing Steph Hanson asked. He’d only recently lured her to Sweetgrass and back to work after she’d nearly died at the hands of a deranged employee back in Seattle.

His twin sister Penny grinned. “He puts up a cell tower so this masterpiece can also live stream online, and he hasn’t strangled his geeks who planted the notion in their heads. Plus he lets them use this prime retail space.”

His staggering blue eyes met her matching ones. “Yeah. We’re fighting off the tenants. Anyway, Arnie has a bad knee. He can’t climb stairs.”

“You could throw in an elevator,” Steph suggested sweetly.

“Thanks a lot. Let’s see how they’re doing in a month.”

“The first item is someone looking to make a trade. Miss Abigail Gallagher is offering a Barbie doll with a new haircut in trade for a puppy for her dog Boo to play with.”