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Copyright ©2008 by Rhonda Penders
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Dancing with him was different than before, though. His body had changed, harder, more muscular. He was completely unfamiliar to her, and yet, she still tingled everywhere he touched. There was a time when she knew every inch of every bit of the skin on his bones. Now he was a stranger. How could this be? How could a relationship that had been so strong and solid since they were children turn into this?
She focused on a spot on his dark shirt instead, pulling herself out of her disturbing thoughts. "You're in Abilene, then? How's that working out?"
"Good," he said shortly.
His scent drifted to her nostrils. He still wore the cologne she'd always bought him. The smell wrapped around her like an old quilt on a cold night. A strange sensation flowed through her, as if she was a plant that hadn't been watered in way too long and slowly came back to life with a good dousing. She struggled against the urge to drop her head to his chest and snuggle in.
"You've cut your hair." His large hand covered the middle of her back and slid up as if remembering where the thick blond mane used to hang.
She didn't miss the disapproval in his voice. He'd loved her long hair, loved winding his fingers in it when they made love. He used to drape it over her bare back and make her promise that she'd never cut it. Her body flushed with the memory. She lifted her chin. He'd once promised her forever, too. So much for promises.
Kudos for To Tame a Cowgirl, the first book in the Double B series!
"If you have never read Roni Adams, be prepared to be knee deep in steam. Buck and Sara are dynamite together. The second son of the family, Buck is an extremely strong personality in this book. He goes about things with an easy confidence and albeit the fact that he quakes in his boots when it comes to his feelings for Sara, he is absolutely the kind of guy any woman would want to roll over and meet in the morning."
~5 shamrocks review from Kwips and Kritiques
"Wow! This is a real sizzler. I had to keep stopping to cool down. The story is nicely paced, not too slow but not so fast that I couldn't savor the scenes and character development. I like Sara and could empathize/ identify with her but I have to admit I really fell in love with Buck. Mmmmmm-what a great hero. I had no doubts about his ability to be a good match for Sara, sexy and strong, yet tender. I want one too!"
~Stays on the Shelf" rating from WRDF Review
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
The Cowboy Comes Home
COPYRIGHT ©
2009 by Rhonda Penders
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: info@thewildrosepress.com
Cover Art by Angela Anderson
The Wild Rose Press
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Publishing History
First Yellow Rose Edition, 2009
Print ISBN: 1-60154-566-5
He was back. Beth Sampson knew without looking. She couldn't explain how she knew, even to herself, but she knew he was there. It wasn't like the hairs on her neck stood up or anything weird like that; it was more a feeling deep inside her ... that all that had been wrong was suddenly right again. The air seemed, somehow, to be infused with energy like that feeling you get when you step outside on the first, crisp morning of fall after a long, stifling, hot summer. Invigorating.
That was the word. Invigorating. Gag.
The Christmas music from the band, which a moment ago made her smile, now mocked her mood. She forced herself to continue dancing as if nothing had happened. Unfortunately, when her partner, Cole Pritchard, spun her around, she came face to face with reality.
Tyler Weston had come home for Christmas.
She knew he was coming, of course. She'd been warned, cautioned, advised by everyone in the family, the town, and everywhere else she went. The local gossip was abuzz with the excitement that the fourth Weston boy would be back on the ranch this holiday season. She half expected the front of town square to be draped with a WELCOME HOME TYLER sign. It wouldn't have surprised her, that's for sure. Everyone acted as if he was returning from war or overseas. Neither. But, apparently, she was the only one who wasn't willing to forgive and forget.
He stood just inside the door to the LoneStar Bar and Grill. A brown leather jacket and a scruffy looking beard were a new look, but it would take more than that for her not to know it was him.
She watched from behind Cole's shoulder as Tyler glanced around. In a minute, he'd see his three older brothers seated at their usual table with her sisters and then he'd join them. Nothing had changed in the almost two years since he'd been gone.
Well, some things had. Cole pulled her closer and his lips pressed against her forehead. She closed her eyes. Cole was one of the good guys. Attentive and polite, he was just as handsome as any of the Weston brothers ... yet he didn't stir her. All Beth got when the redheaded rancher kissed her was a nice warm feeling---the same feeling she got when she hugged her horse. If only she could feel a tiny bit of the burning, raging desire Tyler had always stirred in her gut, then maybe the pain would go away for good.
The song continued and Cole pulled her even closer. She sighed and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, forcing back the errant thoughts. This was nice. Nice was safe and predictable and she wouldn't get hurt ever again.
The song ended and Cole slid his fingers down to link with hers and squeezed. "How about another drink?"
She nodded. "I'll go with you."
"I'm going to make a stop first," he nodded in the direction of the men's room. "I'll meet you back at the table."
The table. The same table where Tyler would be. Joint owners of the Double B Cattle Ranch, the Westons and the Sampsons were joined at the hip, blended in such a way it was hard sometimes to figure out who was a Weston and who was a Sampson. Already, across the floor, she saw them all laughing and hugging Tyler, welcoming the prodigal son, or in this case, brother, back home to the family fold.
She wanted to throw up.
Her stomach churned and her heart began to speed up as she made her way from the dance floor. A low hanging strand of red garland whacked her in the face and she brushed it back with an impatient swing of her hand. Christmas. Probably the only reason he'd come home. It was enough to make her hate the season.
Holding court at one end of the table was her older---and very pregnant---sister, Sara, and her husband, Buck, Tyler's brother. Next to them were the empty chairs she and Cole had left when they went to dance, and beside those chairs were spots for her sister Susan and Tyler's brother Teddy. She glanced to where those two performed on stage with the band.
Lifting her chin, she reluctantly let her gaze return to the family ensemble. Cord, oldest Weston and acknowledged head of the families at the Double B, grinned from ear to ear, his large hand clasped on Tyler's shoulder as if to keep him right where he was. Though it might not show fully on his face, she figured Cord was beyond happy to have his youngest brother home, even if it was only for a few weeks. Tyler had caused immense amounts of pain to his family when he left. And broken her heart straight down the middle.
She shook off those unwanted memories and continued her slow forward momentum to the table.
Tyler had removed his jacket. The brown turtleneck he wore, something new she'd never in her life seen him in wear, was tucked neatly into dark jeans. His rear end filled out the denim in a way she didn't recognize. He'd gained weight. He'd always been tall and lean, bordering on too thin. Now, his waist line looked solid and his arms strained the material of his shirt. Not too much by any means. Solid, firm, well-defined came to mind.
Beth sank her teeth into her bottom lip. He looked good. Way too good. Just her luck, he chose that moment to turn and catch her stare.
The brown eyes that used to make her melt faster than snow in Texas bore into hers. As if she'd fallen off her horse and landed on her back, all the air rushed from her lungs; she reached out to grab the back of the chair for support, her mouth dry, as if filled with cotton balls.
"T---Tyler," she began and then swallowed. "Welcome Home." Her hands clenched the back of the chair tighter, willing him not to hug her or, worse, kiss her cheek like she was an old friend.
They weren't old friends. Friends didn't do what he did to her.
He half smiled, sort of a lifting of one side of his lips. She was mesmerized by the new moustache, and had a sudden curiosity of how it felt. Soft or prickly? Other than a few scruffy ranch-hands who shaved only once a week, she didn't think she'd ever been around a man with a moustache and beard before. None of the Weston brothers had one; Cole was clean shaven, and so was her business partner, Grant Clark.
Tyler shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, the movement pulling her gaze thankfully away from his face.
"Hi, Beth." Thankfully, he didn't move towards her.
The table was silent. No one at the table said a word.
Fortunately, Cole's return with their drinks broke the tension. He handed her a glass of wine, and then slipped his arm around her waist, hand cupping her hip. Beth tried not to show her surprise. Cole had never touched her in such a possessive way, and she couldn't help but notice Tyler didn't miss the point. His gaze flicked to the other man's hand, to her eyes and then back to Cole's again. Beth held her breath, but Tyler's response was cool, disinterested. His face didn't even turn red. Two years ago, another man would never have even asked her to dance for fear of dealing with Tyler Weston's notorious wrath.
Instead, Tyler simply held out his hand. "Pritchard."
Cole was forced to release her to shake hands. Beth grimaced. Had that been his plan? She dismissed her thought as quick as it came. He'd made it more than clear when he left without saying goodbye that she didn't matter to him.
Cole pulled out the chair for her. Grateful, she sank to it before her knees gave out. Next to her, Sara rested her hands on her enormous belly and eyed Tyler with a glint that made Beth nervous. Here we go, she thought.
"So Ty, long time no see. What's the news?" Sara asked a little too casually.
Tyler accepted the beer Cord offered and pulled out a chair at the end of the table. "Looks like you and my brother have bigger news than I could have. Congratulations. Do we know if it's a boy or girl?"
Buck slid his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Nope. We want to be surprised."
Beth watched as the giant cowboy kissed her sister tenderly and Sara rested her head back on her husband's shoulder. The two of them gave a new definition to the word love. Turning back, she caught Tyler's gaze on her. Warmth flooded her face. She lifted her glass and drained half the wine.
"Hey, little girl, better slow down. What if you have to go out on a call tonight?" Cord cautioned.
Beth set her drink down even as she shook her head. "Grant's on call the rest of the weekend. Monday, he's heading home for two weeks."
"Who's Grant?" Tyler set his empty beer bottle down.
Beth glared. As if he didn't know. Her friendship with the other man had been something he'd never understood. "Grant Clark, remember? I did my residency with him at Cornell. He came back here to practice with me when I took over from Doc." She tried not to sound defensive, to keep the bitter edge out of her voice, and aimed for casual and detached like him. But the way Tyler rose one eyebrow, his classic action of annoyance, it was obvious he got the point. One for me, she thought, lifting her wine glass again.
Cole's hand slid to her leg and squeezed. It wasn't a romantic gesture; rather, a show of support. In the months since Tyler left, she and Cole had developed a relationship. No, not a relationship, but more than a friendship. Somewhere between the two. Without saying a word, Cole was trying to make this awkward encounter with Tyler was as painless for her as possible. Tonight she had no issue with him acting as if they were a couple. Let Tyler think she'd moved on with someone far better suited for her. He'd be gone again after the holidays, and then, maybe even she and Cole could reexamine their situation.
Tyler lifted his beer. "How's your Dad, Pritchard?"
"Doc's traveling a lot. He's heading to Mexico right after Christmas. Says turning the practice over to Beth was the smartest thing he ever did." He slid his arm around the back of her chair and pressed his lips to her temple. "She's terrific."
Around the table she caught the on edge, half-hidden stares, watching her, worried if Tyler's coming home was going to send her over the edge, again. She leaned into Cole. They didn't need to waste their concern. She'd grown up and was far from the same silly girl she'd been two years ago.
"Hey, I thought I saw you come in the door, baby brother!"
At Teddy's loud greeting, Tyler stood up as his third brother and lead singer of the Scoundrels, hugged him. Her other sister, Susan, was close behind and enfolded Tyler in a big embrace next.
"You look good, Ty." She yanked on his beard. "What's with this?"
Tyler winced and rubbed his chin. "Something different. Thought I'd try it out."
"Looks like you're trying to hide from the law or something." Susan took a seat next to him, her sister's sparkling blue eyes shining and red mouth curved into a warm smile.
Cord lifted his mug of beer. "Here's to Tyler."
Beth rolled her eyes. Unbelievable. Slowly, she picked up her near empty glass as the rest of the table lifted their drinks. In her opinion, they shouldn't be toasting him, they should be beating the living stuffing out of him.
"Welcome home, Ty," Cord offered with a wide grin, his eyes shining with prideful emotion.
"Here, here."
The chorus of toasts, greetings and warm wishes were enough to make her want to scream. Did no one care that he'd ran away almost two years ago? He'd broken her heart, left his family high and dry and, for most of the first year was completely missing, no contact or anything. Did no one think that was a big deal anymore? They'd all been hurt and heartbroken; she'd gone through hell and back again, did everyone forget? Oh no, but it's all okay because he managed to make it home this year. What about last year? One phone call was all he'd managed. How's that for a loving brother.
God, she couldn't wait for New Year's when he'd be gone again.
Beth forced herself to relax, only half-listening while Tyler talked to Teddy and Susan.
"You guys sounded great tonight. I didn't realize you still sang together." He leaned over and scooped a chip full of salsa and took a large bite.
Beth watched bits of tomato land in his moustache. She watched in a disturbing fascination as his tongue flicked out to lick them off.
"I was in the holiday spirit," Susan answered as she rose. "And decided to class up his act a bit. Anyone want anything from the bar?"
Beth desperately wanted another wine, but didn't dare. Her head was already woozy from drinking the other one too fast. The last thing she needed was to get tipsy and end up telling Tyler what she really thought of him. Wouldn't that make for a happy family Christmas?
She didn't want to but couldn't help listening as he explained about a new breeding program he was developing with Chase Boyd. Her eyebrow raised. Absently, she picked up her wine glass and then remembered it was empty. She set it back down. He'd been with Chase Boyd all this time? Is that where he'd been? Only six hours away. No one had told her his exact whereabouts, only that he'd been in touch. Not that she'd ever asked or even wanted to know by then. So much for his big talk of traveling the world, she mused to herself. Hah. He'd only made it to Abilene, what a world traveler!
"I'm going to check out the buffet, anyone else coming?" Teddy said.
Beth almost gagged. She couldn't eat now if she tried. The others stood up and followed him. Suddenly, she was alone with Cole and Tyler. Very cozy.
"Don't you want anything to eat?" Cole asked.
The look on his face told her that he was dying to get a plate of food but didn't want to leave her alone.
"Actually, I think I'll use the ladies room. You go ahead and get something. I'll meet you back here."
"I'll get you some of those riblets you like so much," Cole offered, touching her shoulder as he walked away.
Without a glance to Tyler, Beth left the table. Once inside the ladies room, she rushed to get inside a stall and then shoved the door closed. Her chest tightened, her heart raced. Closing her eyes she counted slowly to ten, then did it again, breathing in and out slowly and purposely. When she opened her eyes again, she forced herself to slowly read the cautions on the wall about what not to flush down the toilet. Her heart rate slowly returned to normal and the panic attack subsided. Whew. She drew one last deep breath and left the stall.
At the sink, she ran cold water over her wrists. Somewhere inside she had hoped that when she saw Tyler again, she would feel nothing. Instead, there was all this pent up rage and she just wanted to beat on him with her fists, scream and cry and ask all the questions he'd left unanswered. No, not all the questions. Just one question. Why? Not, why did you leave? She knew the answer to that. Tyler had lived his entire life wanting to get the hell out of Sweet Meadow, Texas, to pursue his own life, away from the family's constant interference.
No, what she wanted to know was why he'd left without her? Without even saying goodbye, without begging me to come with you? What had she done to make him leave her, too?
She ran her fingers through her short hair and left the bathroom. The band was playing again as she walked towards the table.
A hand grasped at her elbow and froze her in place.
"Dance with me." Tyler's words weren't a question, but they weren't quite a command either. She could have refused, should have refused, yet she let him lead her to the dance floor.
He turned her to face him and her brain screamed its refusal even as her hand settled into his palm.
When he folded her in his arms, her mutinous body soaked him in like a sponge. The song, a familiar tune about being home for Christmas, was way too fitting. She took a deep breath and then another. I can do this. She'd danced with Tyler and only Tyler for most of her life; of course it would be as natural as taking a breath.
Dancing with him was different than before, though. His body had changed, harder, more muscular. He was completely unfamiliar to her, and yet, she still tingled everywhere he touched. There was a time when she knew every inch of every bit of the skin on his bones. Now he was a stranger. How could this be? How could a relationship that had been so strong and solid since they were children turn into this?
She focused on a spot on his dark shirt instead, pulling herself out of her disturbing thoughts. "You're in Abilene, then? How's that working out?"
"Good," he said shortly.
His scent drifted to her nostrils. He still wore the cologne she'd always bought him. The smell wrapped around her like an old quilt on a cold night. A strange sensation flowed through her, as if she was a plant that hadn't been watered in way too long and slowly came back to life with a good dousing. She struggled against the urge to drop her head to his chest and snuggle in.
"You've cut your hair." His large hand covered the middle of her back and slid up as if remembering where the thick blond mane used to hang.
She didn't miss the disapproval in his voice. He'd loved her long hair, loved winding his fingers in it when they made love. He used to drape it over her bare back and make her promise that she'd never cut it. Her body flushed with the memory. She lifted her chin. He'd once promised her forever, too. So much for promises.
She shrugged. "It was getting in the way."
Another couple bumped her from behind and she stumbled against him. Strong arms steadied her but, instead of moving her back to a proper distance, held her tighter. Her body immediately responded with hardened nipples inside her red dress, and her temperature rose several degrees. Traitor, she thought. For two years, she hadn't been able to feel anything. Now, with one dance, she was suddenly alive. And she wasn't the only one alive. There was no disputing the bulge pressing into her belly. The disgusting part was that it excited her body even more.
With a firm push she put some distance between them. "I'm sorry. These are new shoes. I'm not used to the height," she said in excuse, trying to act like the incident was no big deal.
"They're pretty high. So that's dress. It's not your usual style; is it Susan's?"
Beth flung her head back and glared. "How the hell would you know what my style is?"
Tyler lifted one eyebrow but didn't comment.
She frowned. "Cole picked it out when we were in Dallas last week." There, let him chew on that for a while.
"I didn't know you two were dating." He looked down at her steadily. "No one told me."
The trip had been completely innocent. Doc was flying out of Dallas, and they'd agreed to give him a ride and do some shopping. They hadn't even stayed overnight. Again, not something he needed to know about. "Probably because it has nothing to do with you."
His gaze rose, looking past her, revealing no emotion. "No, I don't suppose it does."
His thigh brushed against hers and an old familiar desire tugged at her insides. His grip tightened and her body ached for what it no longer could have.
She closed her eyes against the feelings. Oh God. She so wanted to scream at him, beg him for answers and rant and rave like a lunatic. Purposely, she pulled back.
His gaze met hers. "At some point while I'm home, maybe we could talk."
When pigs fly! The time for that conversation was two years ago. "I'm very busy this time of year, especially with Grant on vacation," she replied coolly.
"Yeah, I heard the practice is really busy. Isn't his being gone going to make it harder on you?"
Beth tossed her head, loving the way her new short hair defiantly shifted on the back of her neck. "Yes, but it's more important for him to be with his family. Family is everything, don't you think?" She wanted this dance to be over with.
His grip on her tightened. "That's why I came home."
"I guess your brothers weren't important last year, then?"
"It couldn't be helped." His jaw tightened.
She scoffed and he dropped her hand to grab her chin, forcing her to look up into his face. She glared and decided she didn't like the beard or the moustache after all. It gave him a sinister appearance.
"I don't expect you to understand. I don't even expect you to forgive me, but don't you think we owe each other at least a conversation?"
Fury burned her veins. "I don't owe you anything." Tears sprang to her eyes and it made her even madder that she was falling apart in front of him. "But you do owe me. So while your home, and I hope to hell it's a fast visit, stay away from me. Personally, I can't wait until you go back to Abilene or wherever the hell you ran off to."
He searched her eyes for what seemed an eternity and the room grew suddenly way too warm, but she forced herself to stare right back.
"You always were dramatic."
Her eyes widened and she stopped dancing. "Well, in that case, it'll be right in character if I make a dramatic exit, then."
She pulled out of his hold and quickly raced for the kitchen, slipping through the swinging door.
All heads turned and she glanced around frantically. Long time friend and bar owner, Bill, set down a tray of glasses. "Need something, honey?"
"Actually, um," she struggled against the tears. "They've run out of riblets. I thought I'd come get some."
Bill nodded. "Why don't you go have a seat in my office for a few minutes while I get them ready?"
With a quick nod she all but ran to the far end of the kitchen and through the narrow corridor to the private office.
Tyler watched Beth practically run from him and into the kitchen. He didn't follow.
He shouldn't have asked her to dance, but the need to touch her, to have a moment alone with her had been too much to resist. What had he expected? Did he really think he could come back and she'd be happy to see him? Staying away this long had been a mistake. He couldn't change what was done; the best he could do was take his punishment like a man.
He moved to the bar to get another drink. Seeing her with Cole had been a surprise. But then, it made sense; they were perfect for one another. Cole's father had been the area's long time vet and Beth's mentor. She was the daughter Doc never had. It made perfect sense for his son to end up with her. Not that he liked it one bit.
"Another beer?" Bill asked, coming around the bar.
Tyler noted that the earlier warm welcome from the bartender was gone.
"Nah, I think I've had enough. Thanks, Bill. Have a good holiday if I don't see you."
The drive from Abilene and the stress of coming home weighed him down. Tyler shoved away from the bar and looked for his brothers to let them know he was heading back to the ranch. He turned his head in time to see Beth return and Cole's arm protectively wrap around her shoulders. She didn't lean into the other man though and, after a moment, he removed his arm. Odd.
Turning away, he headed towards Buck and Sara at the door, but Tyler avoided their eyes. He didn't need a lecture from his big brother or from his sister-in-law who always had an opinion on everything.
"Leaving?" Buck asked, holding open the door for his wife.
"Yeah," Tyler said, following them out into the parking lot.
He couldn't help but smile as she waddled. A hand slid over her stomach as she looked up at Buck, her eyes tired, but adoring. Tyler's heart ached. So much had changed since he left. Buck and Sara had only been good buddies back then. Now they were married and about to become parents.
He slapped his brother on the back as the couple reached their truck. "You guys drive careful. I'll see you sometime tomorrow, I suspect."
Then, before he could stop himself, he leaned down and kissed Sara on the cheek. She looked as shocked as he was but didn't say anything, just watched him with those green eyes that made him always feel like a five year old.
"Goodnight, Tyler," she said, climbing into the passenger seat with the aid of her husband's helping hand.
As Buck shut the door, Tyler shoved his hands in his pockets.
Buck shook his head and pushed his Stetson back. "I'm glad you're home, but you have a lot of fixing to do around here, and I don't mean fence lines."
He nodded but didn't say anything. Buck stared for a moment, then, with a brief wave, walked around to the driver's side.
As Tyler watched them drive away he admired his brother's shiny new truck. Sara had always driven a beat up old pickup and he wondered if she still had it. Probably not. They were about to become parents, grown-ups with grown-up responsibilities. Even the fact that they were leaving the bar well before midnight showed how much things had changed since he'd been gone. His older brother had become a responsible adult.
That's what you didn't want, remember?
With a last glance back towards the neon sign of the LoneStar, he climbed into his truck and turned it down the familiar road towards the Double B. The family ranch. Home. The place he drove away from two years ago, thinking he couldn't get away fast enough. He never dreamed when he pulled away that day, everything with Beth would be over when he came back. He would never have left if he'd known she wasn't coming to meet him.
When his truck reached the Double B arches, he stopped in the road and looked up. Through the light of his headlights he could make out the familiar landmark. His throat closed up and his eyes burned. He couldn't believe how emotional he was getting at the sight of a metal structure. "I'm home," he whispered.
His parents had been dead for well over a decade. A plane crash had taken their lives along with Beth's mother's in the same accident. Her father had raised all eight kids on his own with the help of their long time housekeeper and ranch foreman. Now Beau Sampson was gone too. Still, this was home. Two years ago, he'd never appreciated that fact.
Feeling a bit foolish, he put the truck in gear again and continued on. Several miles up, the brand new house Buck and Sara had built came into view. Cord had told him about it and even emailed some pictures, but none of that did it justice. They'd built almost an exact replica of the main ranch house that Sara's family had lived in for generations. He was eager to get the tour in the daylight.
He drove several more miles and finally the white fencing that signified the main ranch yard appeared. He punched in the code to swing open the main gates to the long driveway.
Two large houses sat across from one another joined by one large horseshoe driveway. The house to his left was where Beth and her sisters were raised. Built by her great-grandparents it still served as ranch headquarters, complete with a full office and a kitchen that could seat 30 people comfortably. The other house was his family home where he'd been born and raised, and where Cord and Teddy still lived.
His headlights shown on the newest building on the main ranch property. Beth's clinic and cottage, the one he'd designed and made sure he finished building before he left. He had no idea what she thought of them. They'd been his graduation gift to her and, at one time, were meant to be where they would start their married life together. Tyler gripped the steering wheel and heaved a heavy breath. In the end, it had become his going away present.
He parked his truck in back of the family house and walked inside. The kitchen hadn't changed; a light still stayed on over the sink until the last person was in for the night. A cake of some type rested under a glass dome and he grinned. Flo never let them go without dessert. He couldn't wait to see her tomorrow morning. The adored housekeeper was his second mother---and another woman who he suspected he let down completely when he walked away.
Buck was right; he had a lot of fences to mend around here.
Coming home was the right thing to do. Though he couldn't change the past, he was a different man now. He hadn't done right by any of them, most of all Beth. She looked gorgeous with the way that red dress hugged her frame. She'd lost a lot of weight though, too much, but she still looked sexy as hell. Seeing her with Cole had almost killed him. He'd struggled hard to keep her from knowing how she'd affected him.
One thing he didn't miss: he'd left her and she wasn't going to forgive him. If he could turn back the clock, do things different, he would.
Leaving Beth, had been the biggest mistake he'd ever made. Was coming back going to be the second?
Beth leaned across the breakfast counter and picked at the muffin on Grant's plate. Her business partner was in the process of packing for his trip home and hadn't bothered to finish his breakfast. Even though she was going to miss him like crazy, they'd both worked almost nonstop for the past two years. She was glad he'd finally agreed to the vacation at his parent's ranch in Oklahoma. It would be good for him to go home.
"You going to be okay with me gone?" Grant rested his shoulder against the wall. "He's not going to be too pleased when he finds out who's living here."
Beth popped another piece of muffin in her mouth. "I own this house; he doesn't. It's up to me who lives here."
"Somehow, I don't think he's going to see it that way."
She shrugged. "It was silly for you to rent some place in town when this house was sitting here empty. It wasn't like I was ever going to live in it."
Grant walked across the room and put his laptop into a leather case, then pulled his cell phone charger out of the wall and placed it in the bag with the other cords.
She twisted on the wooden stool and watched him. People always caution against doing business with friends but, when she took over Doc's practice, she knew there was only one other vet she wanted with her. Grant Clark. They'd met in their last year at Cornell and had become close friends. She'd been crazy in love with Tyler and talked of nothing but their life together. When she graduated and returned home to find her dreams of being a new bride were stolen away in the night, she dove headfirst into her work. Grant showed up on her doorstep and, after he dried her tears, settled in as her partner. He didn't try to slow her down or make her take time to relax the way her family wanted her to. He understood the only way to get through each day was by exhausting herself. Then again, he should know; he'd been through a similar devastation himself. She smiled at his back. She'd always be grateful to him for helping her through the worst days of her life.
He set his leather duffle bag on the floor. "I'll be back on the second, but I can be here in a few hours if you need me."
Beth climbed off the stool and crossed the room. "I'll be fine. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and that you actually relax a bit."
"Ha. Relax at my father's ranch? Yeah, right. He twisted his face in disgust. "I'll be running back here to get some rest."
"Have a good time anyway and try not to let him get to you." Beth hugged him. She had never met his father, but, from the stories Grant had told her, figured they had a very difficult relationship. She hoped he'd at least enjoy being with his mother, two sisters, and their families.
Unbidden tears filled her eyes as his arms tightened around her. She didn't want to have to deal with Tyler without Grant here. He was her rock. She could get through this no problem if Grant was here. But with him gone, she wasn't so sure she was strong enough.
Grant squeezed her tight and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "You'll be fine," he said, as if knowing her concern.
She nodded into his shoulder and clung tighter.
Grant gently pulled her away. "I won't go. Just say the word and I'll drive to my folks on Christmas Eve and back on Christmas night. I don't need to be gone for ten days."
She glanced up, saw the concern and stiffened her spine. She had to stop being such a baby. He needed to go home and be with his family, not here babysitting her. She pushed at his chest. "No. Definitely not. It was just seeing him for the first time last night. Today, I'm fine. Honest."
He hoisted his laptop bag to his shoulder, picked up his jacket, and stared down seriously. "Remember, you're not the same person you were when he left. You're stronger and you've moved on."
Not sure about either of those statements, Beth tucked her hands in the front pockets of her jeans and nodded. "Yep. You're right. Drive safe, okay?"
Grant opened the door, winked, and then left.
She stood for a minute, staring at the closed door and let her breath out on a long sigh. Turning, she headed towards the back of the house. She pushed open the door that led to the now empty indoor/outdoor corral and crossed over to the connected clinic. Once inside, she switched on the lights, put on a pot of coffee in the kitchenette, and sat down behind her desk.
The folders with notes as to their status were in front of her. She picked up the file for the ranch she'd be visiting on Monday, then leaned back in her chair. An hour or so later, a cup of coffee at her side, she typed up notes from the patients she'd seen yesterday. Office work was one of the worst parts of the job. She and Grant had both decided they needed to find local part-time help, but neither had had the time to even begin to start the hiring process.
She stood and stretched. Might as well get some lunch before finishing. She hadn't taken two steps when the phone rang.
"Sweet Meadow Animal Clinic, Beth speaking."
"Dr. Sampson?" a gruff deep voice asked.
"Yes."
"This is Brody Cranston over at the Rocking R."
"What can I do for you, Brody?" Her mind conjured the rough spoken foreman of the ranch two towns away.
"Our regular vet is away for the holiday and, well, I hate to call you but I've done all I can."
"Don't worry about that Brody. Dr. Everett told me he'd be away this week. What can I do for you?"
"It's Jet. He's over fifteen now, and I know he's getting up there but---"
Beth's heart lurched when she heard the catch in the cowboy's voice. "Why don't you bring him right in, or I can come there."
"I can bring him over."
After hanging up, she walked out towards the small reception area and put the blinds up on the front door. This was not the easy part of being a vet. She hated telling a tough old cowboy that his best friend was going to have to go to the big cow pasture in the sky. She shuddered. Hopefully, whatever was ailing the Border Collie she could fix. She drew a steadying breath and fingered the stethoscope she'd slipped around her neck as she headed to ready the examination room.
About twenty minutes later, a slamming door drew her back to the front and she swung the main door open. It wasn't the old truck that caught her eye, or the older ranch hand who walked around the back end. It was Tyler. Tyler who she didn't expect, and who now aided the older man in opening the tailgate.
Her shock at having to deal with him again this morning was overshadowed immediately by the sight of the large dog he lifted from the truck. By the time the two men reached the porch, she'd shifted into professional mode.
Tyler's gaze met hers, and she looked away. She hated the way he made her feel off balance and insecure.
He stepped past her into the reception area. "Where should I put him?"
Beth glanced back at Brody who followed close on Tyler's heels and pushed her personal thoughts aside to deal with her patient. "Down the hall, first room on the left."
With both men in the small room, and the dog lying still on the cloth covered table, she felt as if they were in a broom closet. Beth tried to move around Tyler without any part of her brushing him, but it was impossible. When she tripped over his boot, his hand shot out and steadied her by grabbing her hip. She glared, and he widened his eyes as if he had no idea what she was mad about.
What the hell is he doing here?
Beth forced a confident expression on her face and faced Brody instead. "How long has he been like this?"
"He was acting kind of funny yesterday, maybe even the day before I suppose."
Beth nodded, listening carefully for any clues as to what was wrong with her patient. Jet whimpered on the table, shifted, but didn't lift his head. She pushed around to the other side of the table and pressed her stethoscope to the old dog's side to listen. His heartbeat was slow, way too slow and a lot of gurgling echoed inside. After reading the rectal thermometer, her concern increased. She shined her small flashlight into his dull eyes, glad to see they still responded to the light.
She took the stethoscope out of her ears and stroked the old dog's head, then glanced up at Brody. The weathered foreman stood back, watching nervously. Tyler moved into position next to the animal as if they worked side by side every day. He held the dog's head and talked in a soothing voice while Beth plunged a syringe filled with antibiotics into his thigh muscle. She stroked her patient. She had to save him. No one should lose their dog at Christmas.
"I'm going to have to keep him here, Brody."
"Oh, I don't know. I mean, I don't think Jet would be comfortable in a cage."
Beth squeezed his arm. "I would never put him in a cage. I have a wonderful area with a nice warm blanket and cushion. I'll make sure he's not left alone, I promise. But I need to keep him here so I can see if the antibiotics are going to work. This way, if they don't, I can try something else."
The worried foreman rested his large hand on the dog's head and then nodded abruptly. "Okay. But I want you to call my cell phone if anything changes."
Purposefully, Beth kept her gaze on the dog as she spoke to Tyler. "Would you stay with Jet for a minute while I get Brody's information?"
Tyler nodded even though Beth had already walked out of the room. He stroked the dog's soft fur. "You gotta pull through this, pal, he needs you." From the other room, he could hear Beth's soft reassuring tones as she spoke with Brody. Squatting down, Tyler rubbed Jet's ears. "And she will be devastated if she loses you."
A sound from the doorway brought his head up. Beth eyes held warmth towards him for the first time, instead of cool distaste from last night. "Would you mind carrying Jet to the house for me? I'll stay there with him tonight."
He hoisted the dog into his arms and followed Beth down the back hall. Throwing open the door, she stepped down into the inside corral.
Tyler glanced around; this was his first time in here since he'd finished the building. "Does that corral work out as good as I'd thought?"
Beth stiffened slightly but nodded. "It's perfect. I can keep them closed in here in bad weather and then, when it's nice out, I simply push the button and out they go."
"I'd hoped it'd work out that way." The vision he had for her clinic and attached small house appeared to be working well.
Beth opened the door to the house. "There's an area off the kitchen that we've set up for situations like this."
Whoa, we? Tyler wondered about that, but Jet was getting heavy, and he was more anxious to find out where she wanted him. Beth led the way and flipped on a light. A thick pad covered in fleece lay on the floor, and he gently settled the dog in the middle of the oversized mattress. After he moved out of the way, Beth drew a small gate around Jet, leaving him plenty of room for standing up and moving about, but keeping him safely enclosed.
"Not that I think he'll go anywhere, but I don't want him wandering around just in case."
Three kittens darted in and wound around Tyler's legs. Beth picked up a fluffy white one and snuggled it against her chin. "Plus, it will keep these three from pestering him."
He smiled at the small puffs of fur and picked up a grey one. "They look suspiciously like Tabby."
Beth grinned. "They do, don't they? No, these were abandoned. One of the cowboys found them."
Tyler held his hand out straight and the tiny kitten perched there looking around.
"Those hands of yours dwarf the poor thing," Beth teased.
His gaze slammed into hers. She used to say that when he touched her, cupped her breasts in his hands. An image flashed in his mind of Beth half naked, arching her back while he slowly made love to her. His groin tightened painfully.
Red stain crept into her cheeks. She spun around and left the room. He heard water running a short time later. When she came back, she carried a stainless steel bowl and set it inside the pen near the dog.
Tyler set the kitten down. It scampered over to jump on its sibling and they tumbled around on the floor.
She stared at him; her arms crossed over her chest. "Why did you come by?"
Obviously the momentary truce was over.
He pulled the candy box from his shirt pocket. "Flo sent these over for you ... and I wanted to apologize for last night. I didn't mean to ruin your evening."
She lifted her chin and her blue eyes glinted like ice. "Who says you ruined my evening?"
She was so damn beautiful. Even glaring like she wanted to choke him, he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Probably that wouldn't be the best move he could make; still, he wondered what she'd do.
"Well, I'm certainly glad about that. I thought I upset you." He crossed his own arms over his chest. Maybe it was the time they'd been apart that made him see her differently, but even with the short hair that he thought he'd hate, she looked fantastic. Petite, barely five feet two, she always looked like the typical girl next door in jeans and a T-shirt. Last night, in those high heels and that short skirt, the grown woman had taken his breath away.
She moved towards the far corner of the room and opened a drawer. "That's never bothered you before, why start now."
She picked up what looked like a walkie-talkie and set it on the counter. Lifting the edge of her sweatshirt, she clipped the second one to the waistband of her jeans.
The sight of her bare belly kicked a thrill through him. The shirt was back in place in a heartbeat, and he caught himself staring. So did she. One eyebrow rose, but she didn't comment; instead, she spun on her heel and walked out.
He would have liked to looked around to see how she was settled into the house. Then again, maybe not. He pushed away the fact that, when he began this project, it was the intention that they'd live here together.
By the time he caught up with Beth, she was through the door and heading across to the clinic.
"Do you like the house?"
She spun back. "If you're waiting for me to thank you for all this, you'll have a long wait."
Tyler frowned. "I tried to make it everything you dreamed of."
"Everything I dreamed of?" She frowned. "Are you kidding me? I came home from graduation expecting to find my loving fiancé waiting to welcome me back. All this"---she waved her arms in a wide circle---"was just to ease your conscience."
"That's not why I built it," he argued, but inside, a part of him admitted what she said was true.
She snorted and swung back around, headed to the clinic.
Tyler closed the space and grabbed her arm. "I didn't do it all out of guilt. I wanted you to have everything you needed."
She narrowed her eyes and yanked her arm away. "Then you failed."
He stood there and watched her go back into the clinic.
What did he expect? If the tables were turned, would he forgive her?
Not willing to push her any further, he left the corral through the side door and headed back across the yard.
Heaving a fortifying breath, Tyler knocked on the door to the den.
"Come on in," Cord's voice resounded through the heavy oak doors.
Tyler turned the thick knob and stepped inside. Beau Sampson had been gone for over three years now, but it was impossible to walk into the ranch office and not expect to see Beth's father seated behind the massive desk. How many times had he been summoned to this office as a teenager over this or that?
He swallowed hard and stiffened his spine. He wasn't a kid anymore. Cord hadn't summoned him here; he'd asked to meet with him.
Cord pushed his chair back and met him half way across the room. A smile split his brother's face and he held out his hand. "I know I said it last night, but I'm so glad you're home." He clasped one hand on his shoulder and squeezed the other in a handshake. Cord stepped back and looked him over. "It looks like Charli's cooking agrees with you."
Tyler grinned. "Is there anyone who it wouldn't agree with?" Chase Boyd's daughter was a trained culinary genius.
His brother gestured to the two leather arm chairs in front of the fireplace. Tyler swiped his hat off his head and sat down.
Cord sat in the opposite chair. "Flo just brought me fresh coffee, want a cup?"
Tyler shook his head. "In the afternoon? Wow, you really are getting old aren't you. I bet she brought cookies too, didn't she?"
"I could lie and say I know it makes her feel good so I put up with it, but, truth is, it's become a bad habit of mine."
"I know what you mean." Tyler nodded. "Charli spoils her father when she's home, and for some reason, it extended to me as well."
His brother tipped his head and a questioning look passed over his eyes.
"Don't even go there." Tyler leaned back against the chair. "Charli's a great gal, but I'm not man enough for that firecracker." He grinned. "Besides, we all know who Charli's set her sights on."
Cord laughed through a flushed face. "She's something else, that girl." He leaned forward and loosely clasped his hands between his legs, studying Tyler with deep brown eyes. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. And, I'm sorry, you know, for leaving the way I did."
Cord glanced down at his hands and then lifted his gaze back to Tyler's. "I can't help but feel if you'd come to me, we could have worked something out."
Not wanting to hurt his brother any further, he kept his thoughts of how that conversation would have gone to himself. "You're right, I should have talked to someone and not taken off like that."
"I'll admit I was relieved when we found out you ended up in Abilene. Chase is the type of man who can guide you without you resenting it. I figured it was good for you to be there. Though I wanted to, hauling you back here wouldn't have done any of us any good."
Tyler agreed. When he first left, he was terrified that Cord would show up and guilt him into going back home. When his brother hadn't come for him, he'd been almost disappointed. "Yeah, I needed some breathing room. To get away from here and figure out what I really wanted out of life."
"Do you? I mean, do you know what you want now?"
Tyler nodded. "I want to be a part of the Double B and take responsibility for my part in the business."
Eyes wide, Cord sat back. "Are you saying you're coming home for good?"
"Yes." Tyler said it in such a way that brooked no argument. He didn't want Cord to think he was wavering in his conviction. He knew what he wanted. "I've already talked to Chase about it. To be honest, he's not too happy. He has this insane thought that the Circle S can't run without me anymore. He lost his longtime foreman last year, and I sort of filled his shoes. But that's not where I belong. I belong here."
"What about Beth?"
Tyler clenched his jaw. He wasn't going to talk to Cord about his relationship with Beth. "What about her?"
Cord tipped his head. "She's moved on."
"I'm aware of that."
"And you'll be able to live with that? With her being with Cole?"
Tyler met his brother's gaze steadily. "I fully intend to do everything in my power to win her back."
Cord stood and frowned down. "I don't think that's a good idea, for anybody."
Tyler rose slowly. Cord was the shortest of the Weston brothers and it gave Tyler, younger but taller, an immense measure of satisfaction to look down on him. "I love her. I fully admit I screwed up, and have no right to ask her to give me a second chance, but I'm going to. Beth and I have been in love since before we were old enough to know what it meant. I won't give up on that easily."
Cord ran his hand around the back of his neck. "You're my brother, but what you did to that girl..." He paused and tipped his chin up. "The fact that you walked away from your responsibilities here and your role on this ranch, that we can get past."
"That's mighty big of you." Tyler knew he was being sarcastic and didn't care.
"But the way you left Beth wasn't right. No man does that, and you were raised better than that. You should have stayed and told her face to face what your feelings were. You have no business toying with her now."
Biting back his own guilt and rising anger at his brother's intrusion in his personal business, Tyler shoved his hands in his pocket. "Beth's a grown woman and she's never had any problems handling me in the past. From the few interactions we've had, it's more than obvious she'd like nothing better than to skin me alive and leave me for the vultures. I'm smart enough to realize her taking me back will be a long shot at best."
Cord's eyes narrowed. "If you hurt her again, you will answer to me."
Tyler clenched his jaw. He wanted to hate his brother for saying that, but he was right. "I give you my word that I won't. It's the last thing I want to do."
"Okay. We'll leave it at that." Cord relaxed and folded his hands casually over his chest. "So, what do you want to do? I mean, it's obvious from the conversations we've had on the phone that you've been doing some different things at the Circle S. Nothing says you have to come back here and work under Buck and Sam again. Tell me what your thoughts are."
"It's busy for everyone right now. I was thinking we could talk in more detail after Christmas."
Cord clasped his hand on his shoulder. "Fair enough."
His brother nodded then crossed the room and slipped into the massive leather chair behind the desk. Their father had died when Cord was only eighteen. He'd shouldered a lot of responsibilities these past twelve years. Tyler wondered if he ever wanted to run away. Did Cord ever wake up and think, 'what if I just started driving and never came back?'
Tyler turned to the door. Nope. Not him. Cord was the very picture of responsible. He was steady and secure. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that, with Cord at the helm, this ranch was in good strong hands.
The tempting smell of bacon and toast greeted Tyler as he entered the kitchen the next morning. Flo flipped pancakes at the stove and added them to an enormous stack on the tray next to her. She sang a Christmas carol as she worked, sometimes almost in a whisper and then at other times belting out the chorus. She glanced up as he joined his brothers at the table.
"I was starting to think that you didn't eat anymore." Flo put the platter on the table.
Flo's welcome home when he'd caught up with her yesterday after church had made him feel even worse about being gone so long. She appeared to have aged in the time he was away. Her steps were slower in the kitchen, and the lines in her face had deepened, but the strength in her body when she'd hugged him close hadn't changed. The tears that streaked from her eyes made him realize he had a lot of making up to do to a lot of people.
"What do you mean? You were at church yesterday morning, and you weren't here for dinner last night."
Flo drew back and settled her hand on her ample hip. "Don't sass me, boy. I know where I was. It was Sunday morning and at least one member of this family needs to be in that pew. Lord knows I have enough souls to pray for each week." She leaned forward and pressed her cheek to her husband's. "And Sam decided we needed to have a private dinner, just the two of us last night."
The chuckles around the table made the old man frown, but Tyler didn't miss the affectionate brush of Sam's hand along his wife's backside when she turned back to the stove.
"She doesn't need to cook for you youngin's all week." He stabbed a pile of pancakes and poured honey over the entire thing.
Cord folded the newspaper and set it aside. "I've been telling her that for years and you know it."
Tyler poured himself orange juice from the same pitcher they'd had on the table his entire life. Around the room, Teddy, Cord, and Sam all sat in the same spots they'd been sitting in forever. Buck's chair was empty, but other than that, the entire scene was the same as it had always been.
It was this type of 'sameness' that had driven him off the ranch. He had thought if he stayed another minute he'd suffocate. Nothing ever changed. It was the same routine, day in and day out. Now, however, he found it comforting and realized how much he'd missed the very thing that had driven him away.
Flo set a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. Her old, wrinkled hand settled on his shoulder and squeezed. An enormous platter of bacon, ham, and sausage began to move around the table, passed from one hand to another. He took a helping and continued its route over to Cord.
"What time are the kids arriving Wednesday?" Teddy asked.
"Three," Cord replied, forking sausage from the platter. "I'll need to be dressed and hidden away before that. Can't have the kids spying Santa ahead of time."
Tyler had made sure he came home in time for the annual Christmas party for the Sweet Meadow Children's Home, a tradition on the ranch started many years before they were even born. Cord and Teddy both sat on the Foundation Board and, though the family gave large sums of money to the Home, the Christmas party was what they enjoyed the most.
"Anyone going into town this morning?" Flo asked, pouring more coffee.
"I need to get in there sometime this week, why?" Tyler tucked into his pancakes.
"The costumes need to be picked up and I ordered a few things at the new candy store. It's at the corner of Main and Second."
"Sure, I can do it."
"Tha---"
Flo's appreciation was cut off by the door banging open. They all looked up as Buck walked in the, flung his hat on the hook on the wall, and grabbed a plate out of the cupboard.
"Don't you have a kitchen of your own and a wife to eat breakfast with?" Teddy complained as Buck sat down.
"Don't you have some hot blonde you should still be rolling around with?" Buck quipped back. He smiled up at Flo as she poured his coffee. "Sara can't stand the smell of bacon right now, or coffee, and I can't eat another bowl of Frosted Flakes." He grabbed the platter of pancakes and emptied it onto his plate.
Flo brought a heaping platter of bacon to the table---Buck grabbed it first.
"You wanna take a doggie bag back with you, boy?" Sam asked.
Buck grinned and passed the plate. "No, Sir. You just have no idea how good this all looks."
Flo cuffed her husband on the side of the head. "Leave that boy alone. I should probably come down and cook for you two each morning. I could do it after this if I..."
"No!" a resounding chorus argued and Tyler grinned at the surprised expression on the older woman's face.
Flo narrowed her eyes and waved one large finger in the air. "Don't be thinking that any of you can be telling me what to do, or not to do. I'll slow down when I'm dead and not a second before."
Sam shook his head, muttering under his breath.
Their much loved housekeeper grabbed up the empty platter and took it back to the counter. "Besides, I hardly do anything around this place anymore. You hired that outfit to cook for the ranch hands." Flo spit out the word 'outfit' as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. "Susan and Diane are in New York most of the year, and there's only Beth rattling around in the main house." She harrumphed. "We all know she doesn't eat, so what am I supposed to do?"
That caught Tyler's attention. "Beth? At the main house? Why isn't she living in the one I built her next to the clinic?"
"She's never lived there," Buck said around a mouthful of pancakes.
Tyler swallowed. "What are you talking about? I was there yesterday. It's definitely lived in. In fact, she had me move one of her patients in there so she could watch the dog all night long. I know she's sleeping there."
"If she slept there last night, that's the first night she's ever spent in that house." Cord shook his head. "Grant lives there."
The bacon stuck in Tyler's throat and he almost gagged. His neck grew warm as anger built. He'd built that place for Beth, not for the idiot Clark. When she was in college, he'd heard enough of the great Grant Clark. The aspiring vet had been the cause of numerous jealous rages on his part, even though Beth had sworn up and down he was only a friend.
"Ty, calm down," Cord warned. "Beth wasn't living there, and it made no sense for Grant to move into one of the outbuildings."
Tyler set his fork down, appetite gone. Her words from yesterday slammed back at him---she thought he'd built that place to ease his conscience. Damn stubborn woman. She wouldn't listen to him about why he left, she wouldn't even let him try to explain, and now this. What else was he going to find out about? Was she more than business partners with Grant? Or was she dating Cole? How serious was that whole thing?
His chest tightened. Before he came home, his mind had pictured how this would play out. Beth would be hurt, and mad, and he'd beg forgiveness. They'd talk it all out, he'd explain, she'd be mad for a while, but he'd manage to convince her how much he still loved her. She knew he didn't leave because of her; he'd explained it all in the letter he'd left.
Well, he could be mad too. He'd waited in Abilene that whole season for her. It took until Christmas before he figured out she wasn't coming to him. He had just as much reason to be mad. He at least left a letter, but she didn't even write or call, just left him hanging.
They'd been childhood sweethearts and lovers since they were teenagers. Not once had he doubted her commitment to him or her love. Not in his wildest dreams did he think he'd come back to find her cozied up to Cole, and her idiot friend from college living in the house he'd built. How soon after he left had both of them come slinking around?
But it all made sense. What a fool he was, no wonder she hadn't come to the Circle S.
A chair scraped back, forcing him out of his own head.
Sam lumbered away from the table. "Maybe ya'll have time to be sitting around jawin' all day, but I got a ranch to run."
"Oh, okay, old man. No problem." Teddy laughed.
Sam kissed Flo on the cheek. "I'll see you at lunch."
Flo blushed like a school girl and waved her dishtowel at him. "Go on with ya," she laughed.
The grizzled foreman leaned down and whispered something to his wife.
Tyler stared at the two, marveling at the love they shared after all these years.
Buck pushed away from the table and settled his hat back on his head. "He's in a hurry to get to the barn so he can take his mid-morning nap."
"As long as he's rested by lunch time," Flo cackled.
Within seconds the busy kitchen was empty except for Tyler and Flo. He finished clearing the table and stacked the dishes in the dishwasher.
"Did you have a list of what you want picked up at that store?" A drive was just what he needed right now. He waited while she dried her hands on a dishtowel and moved to the refrigerator.
Under a bright magnet she pulled off a slip of paper. "I called this order in, but I decided to get a few more things." She raised a brow. "You boys don't think I don't listen but I do. I know I need to slow down a bit so, I decided this year to buy a lot of the sweets for the party instead of making them. See there, I can compromise."
Tyler smiled as she handed him the paper.
One dark finger pointed to the inked list. "See these candies here, Beth is insane for them. I try to buy them every time I go into town. In case you haven't noticed, she's way too thin."
Tyler nodded. "She looks like she's lost weight."
Flo narrowed her gaze, and Tyler frowned. Flo was rarely angry at anyone, but he definitely felt like he'd just broken a window.
"She's put on fifteen pounds since this time last year."
Tyler's jaw dropped. "What?"
The older woman nodded. "I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. To be honest, no one can be to blame for what another person does in life, but when you left"---she shrugged---"she stopped eating altogether. For a while, she stopped doing everything, work, eating, everything. All she did was lie in bed or ride her horse. Once Grant got here, he got her working again, but she didn't eat enough to keep a bird alive. That's where Cole came in. That boy and his father got through to her like none of us could. For a time, he was here so much I was going to make up a room for him."
Tyler leaned back against the counter stunned by what he was hearing. It was his fault. He'd done this to her. How could I have been so damn selfish?
Flo patted his arm. "But she's better now. She got some help, and, thank the good Lord, we've got our Beth back. So make sure you get several boxes of those candies, she can't resist them." The housekeeper reached her hand out to squeeze his arm. "Whatever your reasons for leaving, remember something, Tyler. Family is family, and running away never solved anything. Your problems are always there when you come back. Leaving only delays the fixing of 'em."
Still reeling from what he'd just learned, Tyler couldn't say anything. No wonder Beth hadn't come to him---she'd been too sick. He couldn't believe his family hadn't dragged his butt home, but then, for a long time, no one even knew where he was.
He frowned. Realizing Flo was still talking, he pulled his attention back to her.
"Can you believe next year will be the fiftieth year the Double B has hosted this Christmas party? I was there you know, at the party when I met y'all daddies. I wasn't even sixteen that first year."
A grin slipped to his lips. Tyler knew the entire story. Everyone did. It was legendary.
Flo and Sam met and fell wildly in love that year and she never left the ranch again. By the time he'd been born, Flo was a long established household member and was married to the ranch foreman. When the accident took both his parents lives, the couple moved in to their home and finished raising the boys.
Beth used to compare the love Sam and Flo had to their own. "We'll be just like them," she used to tell Tyler. "We'll be together our entire life."
But while Sam and Flo had been content to never leave the ranch, he and Beth wanted to travel. They wanted to see what else there was in the world besides Texas, and they wanted to live their lives away from their controlling family. She'd work as a vet and he'd train horses, and they'd never stay in one place more than a few months until they found the perfect place to be on their own.
"We'll never be allowed to grow up if we stay in Sweet Meadow," Beth had said on more than one occasion.
They'd been in full agreement ... until the day her mentor, Doc Pritchard, had handed her his practice.
Flo's pat to his cheek was like a slap atop his stupidity. He never should have left. Beth had gotten sick because of him, Flo was older looking, Buck and Sara were going to be parents for cripes sake, and he wasn't entirely sure where he stood with his brothers.
What was that old saying, you can never go home again?
Why did he think that he could?
Beth peeled the disposable gloves off each hand and dropped them in the garbage can next to the stall. "I wish I could tell you everything is going to be fine."
"You don't have to worry about that with me," Cole said.
She nodded and planted her hands on her hips, appreciating his understanding. "Any horse carrying twins is going to have a hard time, and I don't know too many that are able to take them to term or deliver live, healthy colts."
Cole nodded and rubbed a hand against the back of his neck. A lump formed in her throat. Even with over two years of being a fully qualified veterinarian, she'd never get used to the feeling of helplessness when she was up against nature. Sometimes she'd win and sometimes nature would. In this case, the odds were definitely stacked against them all.
"The good news is, as hard as this is to say, you can try again. You have at least three other mares that would be good matches for Prince." Beth raked her fingers through her short hair. She'd been hard at work all day when Cole called her to come take a look at the struggling pregnant mare.
"Yeah, I know, but if we can save these two..."
Beth walked over to him. "I'll do everything I can."
"Thanks."
He opened his arms and Beth stepped into his embrace. He needed comfort and assurance and she tried to offer what she could, but, in her gut, she'd already accepted the risks of the horse's pregnancy. Closing her eyes, she settled her head on the familiar chest. When the hug went on a bit too long, she pulled away. Cole let her go, but the expression on his face told him he'd have rather she'd stay put.
"What?" she asked when his smile faltered.
He shrugged. "How are things with Tyler home?"
Beth picked up her equipment. "I don't see him much."
"He's been home a week and you haven't seen him?"
"No, I've seen him. That first night at the LoneStar and a few times after, but it's not like we're sitting down to supper together. I'm out on calls most nights and eat on the road."
Cole touched her shoulder. "Make sure you take care of yourself."
"Don't fuss, Cole. Flo gives me enough grief."
"She worries." He grinned. "Hey, what are you doing tonight? How about I buy you dinner at that new place we've been talking about trying in the city. We could get all dressed up, make a night of it."
Her first instinct was to say no. She really didn't want to get dressed up and go out. But the eager expression in his eyes told her it would be good for him, and she owed him that. He'd been there for her ever since Tyler left. Cole had been very clear the past year that he wanted more than her friendship; he wanted a true relationship with a promise of a future. Beth had let him know she had no intention of that, but still, he'd been the one to pick her back up after Tyler left when all she wanted to do was stay in the dark cave of misery. She'd told him time and time again to date someone else, but he kept insisting he'd wait until she was ready.
She forced a smile. "That would be fun. But you know it all depends on if I get any calls. I hate having to cancel at the last minute."
Cole grinned and picked up her bag of equipment. "This is me, remember?"
Cole's father, Doc, had been the only vet in Sweet Meadow until he handed Beth the practice after her graduation. If anyone understood, Cole would. She was still amazed today at how Doc had done it all, especially after his wife died. She had a hard enough time to find any downtime even when Grant was home.
Cole set her bag in her pickup as Beth pulled open the door on the driver's side. He stopped her with a hand on her arm. "I'll make reservations for seven. Does that give you enough time?"
She pulled her cell phone off her belt and glanced at the clock. "Yeah, that's fine."
He leaned towards her but she ducked her head and climbed into her truck as if she had no idea he had been going to kiss her goodbye.
He stepped back and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'll see you in a few hours."
Beth nodded and put the truck in gear, waving as she headed out the driveway. In her rearview mirror, she saw him staring after and a heavy sadness settled over her. Why can't I love Cole? He was perfect for her. He was Doc's son; they were made to be together. No one understood the demands of her job better than he did---the times she had to leave in the middle of the night, the missed dinners. By the time she was sixteen she was working alongside Doc and had gone on calls with him. He'd trained her to be ready to go even if it was the last thing you wanted. It came with the territory and he wanted her to get a good taste of it early on before she even went to college to begin her real studying. Tyler had always struggled with that, but Cole understood completely. This was her life.
Driving the familiar route between her ranch and Cole's, she thought of Doc. She'd love his opinion on the horse's pregnancy. She leaned her head on her hand as she drove. Would the older man have some other kind of magic up his sleeve that could give them a better chance to make it? At times like this, when she knew there was no hope, she questioned her decision to be here. Everyone counted on her to save their animals. Didn't they know it was far more up to nature than anything a vet could do? As Doc always said, "All we can do is try our best, but most times it's out of our control." That's what he would tell her now. "Stop worrying about this, little girl. It's God's will what will happen with those twins."
God's will. She couldn't help but fight against it. That was what was exhausting her; she didn't have enough experience under her belt to learn how to let it not get to her. Or was everything else getting to her?
When Cord had told her that Tyler was coming home for Christmas, she'd convinced herself that she was ready and that seeing him again would be difficult, but not painful. But one look at him at the LoneStar, one dance with him and she was a mess.
Rage brewed inside at what he'd done to her. If he hadn't wanted her anymore, the very least he could have done was tell her face to face. Instead, he'd run off before she even knew he was gone, and with no way for anyone to find him. By the time Cord tracked him down and knew where he was, Beth had told everyone she didn't want to know. Tyler's name wasn't even mentioned in conversations with her.
What would life be like right now if she and Tyler had hit the road like they'd always planned? Where would they have landed? Would they still be traveling? Would they have come back? Probably to visit, but the plan had been to live anywhere but here.
Didn't matter anyway. It'd been childish. Didn't he know that? Hitting the open road, going wherever they wanted, it was a nice fantasy but it wasn't reality. When Sara and Buck got married, Beth realized that what she really wanted out of life was the same thing. A man who was stable and dependable and loved her so much he'd never imagine life without her. A man like Cole Pritchard.
She scoffed at herself. The problem with that fantasy was as much as she suspected Cole might love her, she didn't love Cole. There was no chemistry. Was it so wrong to want that physical attraction, that all consuming lust that she once shared with Tyler?
And where did all that get you?
True. Maybe the more mature thing to do was to think with her head and not her hormones or even her heart. She and Tyler had been kids. They'd become lovers way too early and built their relationship on how good that was.
She shifted on the truck seat. They'd certainly spent a lot of time making out. Was that all there was to what they had, then? Hot teenage lust? They'd explored and learned everything they knew from each other, and it had been amazing. Barely a day went by that they didn't find a way to sneak off and fool around, thinking no one knew what they were up to. Thank goodness they'd always been careful---neither wanted an unplanned pregnancy to mess up their plans.
Yet the few times she and Cole had kissed, it'd left her cold. Unfortunately, her hormones had come to life the second Tyler danced with her. All the feelings she thought were dead and buried sprang up and screamed for attention.
Beth sat up straighter as she drove through the Double B arches. Just because he had the power to make her body respond, didn't mean she had to let him know. He'd be gone after New Year's, and life could go back to the way it was. Then maybe she would ignore her body and heart this time and use her head; maybe focus on Cole and what they might possibly have together. Maybe.
Tyler took a long swallow of his after dinner drink and watched the flames flicker in the fireplace. December in Texas wasn't really a time when a fire was needed, but Flo and Susan had both insisted it would be 'cozy' to have one tonight. Not for the first time, he wondered where Beth was but didn't want to ask anyone.
When headlights swept across the large picture window, he watched Cord's head turn in that direction.
"That must be Beth and Cole." His brother pushed away from the fireplace and freshened his drink from the small set in bar.
Tyler's gut clenched at the thought of her out with Pritchard. Where had they gone? Out to a quiet intimate dinner? Over to the other man's house for an even more intimate evening?
Visions of Beth naked in his arms, blue eyes full of passion and desire flashed through his memory. They'd learned to be lovers together---the thought of her doing all that they had done with Cole was enough to make him insane. He counted off the seconds, wondering what was going on in the car. Why hadn't she come inside? He hoped she wasn't bringing Cole in with her. He couldn't stomach seeing them together again.
The front door opened and closed. Seconds later, Beth walked through the double doors that led to the family room. She paused in the doorway and Tyler glanced past her. No Cole. Good. His gaze returned to her and slid hungrily down her body. The long, black velvet skirt floated at mid calf, and he recognized the bright red blouse. He'd given it to her one Christmas---and peeled it from her body before that night was over. His large hands had fumbled with the tiny diamond buttons until he finally lifted it from the hem and yanked it over her head. She'd laughed at his impatience, and then reached for his zipper.
Tyler swallowed hard as his groin sprang to life with the memory.
"Stay right there." Teddy jumped up and walked towards Beth. "Honey, it's bad luck to stand under mistletoe and not get kissed. I can't let that happen to a nice girl like you."
Beth put her hands out as if to ward him off, but ever the performer, Teddy swept her into his arms, bent her over backward until she squealed and clutched at his shoulders for balance.
"Brace yourself," he teased, and planted a very noisy kiss on her lips, twisting his face back and forth as the rest of them laughed.
When he swung her back on her feet and Beth's eyes sparkled with laughter, Tyler's heart jerked. He used to be able to put that type of fun in her eyes. He wanted to punch his brother in the head for being able to do what he no longer could.
Beth met his gaze. Her neck reflexed in a gulp and she looked scared to death that he was going to do the same thing Teddy had just done.
Not a bad idea.
Purposely, he set his drink on the ledge of the fireplace and crossed the room. Her narrowed gaze warned him off, but he ignored her to lean down. He intended to only brush his mouth against her cheek and walk away, but once he was next to her, and saw the absolute dread in her eyes, he couldn't' stop himself. She shook her head and he waited for her to turn and walk away from him, but she didn't.
He reached out and tucked one loose strand of hair behind her ear and then framed her face in his palms. Even as he bent over, he waited for her to push him away. She didn't. Her breath hitched and he smelled the peppermint coming from her breath, her blue eyes wide and wary.
"Merry Christmas, Angel," he whispered and pressed his lips to hers.
He'd planned on it being a quick, chaste, closed-mouth kiss. But, like a long extinguished flame that suddenly burst back to life, the minute his mouth touched hers, something ignited. His head spun and he teased the seam of her lips with his tongue. Her hands settled at his waist but instead of pushing him away as he dreaded, she kissed him back.
Tyler forgot about everyone else in the room when her fingers gripped the waistband of his jeans and she tipped her head as he deepened the embrace. He pulled her closer, wrapped her in his arms. She clung to him and his body roared to life, his groin springing up and pressing into her. She shifted closer.
"Beth you left your purse in the ca..."
It took a second before Cole's voice registered with either of them.
Beth jerked out of Tyler's arms and stumbled in her haste to get out of the embrace. What am I doing?
Trying to force clear thoughts from the fog of desire, she darted a glance first at Tyler and then to Cole. His gaze was hurt and filled with disappointment. He didn't say anything, simply dropped her purse on the small table and walked back out the door.
She raced after him, not bothering to look back at Tyler.
"Cole! Wait, Cole!" She skidded on the porch in her heels as she ran from the door to the top of the front steps.
Cole stopped halfway down and turned to look up. He slammed his hands in his pockets and glared. "I thought you were smarter than that."
"It was just a mistletoe kiss. It meant nothing." Even as she said the words, she knew they weren't true.
Cole's brown eyes flared and the red in his face deepened. "Who are you trying to kid?" He walked back up the steps. "Me ... or you?"
Guilt settled in the pit of her stomach. He was right. The minute Tyler kissed her, she'd been lost.
Cole's eyes flared with hurt and anger, and she didn't know what to say. They'd had such a nice dinner, such a nice evening, and now it was ending like this. She held his gaze. "I'm sorry."
Cole let his breath out on a long sigh and it fogged the air between them. He tucked his finger under her chin and lifted her face, his eyes tender and understanding. "You don't owe me any apologies. But you've come so far. I'd hate to see him hurt you again. You went through hell and---"
"It's not your business, Pritchard."
Behind her, Tyler's voice was edged with anger. The screen door banged against the house.
Beth turned. What the hell is he doing? Anger rose and she opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Cole gently set her aside. He walked past her towards Tyler on the porch. Fear trickled up her spine as the two angry men faced off.
Cord and Teddy stepped onto the porch but didn't say a word.
"She's not some toy you can pick up and play with whenever you feel like it," Cole spat out.
The two men were almost nose to nose and reminded her of two dogs fighting over a bone. It infuriated her that she was the bone.
She turned to Tyler. "Get out of here. This has nothing to do with you. Go back in the house."
He lifted his chin and shoved his hands in his pockets.
Beth swallowed hard, recognizing his attempt to keep his temper in check. She shoved at his shoulder pushing him towards the door. "Go away, Ty."
Instead, he stepped closer to Cole. "Go in the house, Beth," Tyler commanded without looking at her.
"Oh no. You are going in the house because this has absolutely nothing to do with you!" She stepped in between the two men and shoved Tyler hard in the chest.
He frowned, but stepped back one pace, all the while glaring at Cole over her head. She planted both hands on his rock hard chest and shoved until he took another step back.
Cole flung his arms in the air and shook his head. He glared at Tyler. "You know what you're problem is? You don't want her, but you don't want anyone else to have her either. You left. That was your decision."
Cole pointed his finger at the other man and Beth cringed as Tyler strained against her hands. His muscles bunched under her palm and she shoved once more against him to keep him from lunging forward. "Please stop," she begged.
For a few seconds he continued to glare at Cole, before he met her gaze. His eyes softened, then, miraculously, he turned around and walked into the house.
Beth took a deep breath and didn't bother to turn around when she heard Cole walk back down the porch steps. Teddy walked past her and called his friend's name.
Cord stepped over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I was actually going to let Cole take a round out of him; he deserves nothing less."
Beth put her hands to her face and blinked back the tears. "I can't wait for him to leave again."
He patted her shoulder and walked away. Beth yanked open the front door and headed for the front stairs. Tyler walked out of the family room with his hat in his hand just as her foot landed on the first step.
"Beth?"
She went up another stair, ignoring her name on his lips again, and tried hard to forget all the feelings the kiss from a few minutes ago had stirred inside her.
"We need to talk."
"No, we really don't." She went up another step.
"Why aren't you living in the house?"
Anger flared to life as hot as her lust for him. Spinning around, she almost lost her balance in the long skirt and heels. "Why the hell would I live there?" she spat. Warmth flooded her face and she wanted nothing more than to hurt him the way he'd hurt her. Only problem was, there was no way to do that.
Tyler's expression was unreadable. "I built it so you could stay right there with your clinic and have everything in one place."
"No, you threw me away. Frankly, there isn't anything I want that reminds me of you. You walked away as if I meant nothing to you, as if the years we'd spent together were nothing."
He ran a hand around the back of his neck and looked away.
"Don't worry, Tyler, you did us both a favor when you left. You forced me to grow up and realize that what we shared was nothing more than kid stuff, the kind that can never last through the ups and downs of marriage. For that, people need to be mature. Neither of us fit that bill at the time. Fortunately, I know the difference between lust and love now."
"With Cole?"
She nodded. "Yes, and fortunately your little scene tonight won't be enough to run him off. Cole knew having you come home was going to be a challenge." She swallowed hard and stared him in the eye. "Frankly, I'm glad you came home. I was able to lay the ghosts to rest and now know I've moved on."
"Maybe you should test that theory."
She frowned. "What are you talking about?"
He climbed the stairs in two long strides, reached a hand out and stroked her cheek. She yanked away from his touch.
"That kiss sure didn't feel like any ghosts were laid to rest." His eyes smiled with mischief. "Maybe we should try it once more, just to be sure."
Before she could blink, he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her up against him. In heels, she was off balance on the step and grabbed his upper arm to keep from falling backward. His muscles contracted under her hand and, in a flash, all the memories of being held in his strong arms came pouring back. Involuntarily, she tipped her head up.
"No, thank you." Her tongue wet her suddenly dry lips as he ignored her and lowered his head.
"Are you afraid of what you'll find out?"
"I'm not afraid of you, Ty. Nothing you do now will ever compare to how much you hurt me that morning I found out you were gone."
He froze. "I would do anything to change that." He searched her face. "I was hurt too. You don't know how hard that was for me."
She blinked her eyes and glared. "Hard for you?" She snorted in disbelief and tried to pull away. "Whatever. I don't want to talk about this. I don't want to talk to you. I just want you to leave me alone until you go back to Abilene or wherever the road takes you these days." Beth jerked once more, slipped from his hands and started back up the stairs.
"I'm not going back, Beth. I'm home to stay."
She whirled, her jaw dropped open. "What? Why? You couldn't wait to get the hell out of here and now, what? You've had your adventure all by yourself and you're back? Did you expect that I'd just say welcome home, cowboy, and open my arms?"
"I don't expect that at all."
"Good. Don't. Because we'll have snow on Christmas morning before that ever happens." She ran up the stairs before the tears fell.
Tyler shoved his hat on his head and walked out the front door, not sure if he needed to crawl into a bottle of whiskey for the night or his bed.
"Leave her alone, Tyler," Teddy warned the minute he walked through the front door. This brother was usually the most easy going of all the family, and Tyler was shocked at the rage in his eyes.
"I got it." Tyler headed towards the porch stairs.
"What happened to you? You weren't raised to treat women like that."
Tyler spun around, his eyes wide. "Me? Of all people, you're lecturing me on how to treat women."
Teddy faced him from across the hall. "Yeah, I am. Who knows better how to leave a woman, but leave them in one piece, maybe even a little happier for the experience? You don't just walk away."
"What's your longest relationship been? Two days, a week maybe, tops. You don't know what you're talking about."
Teddy glared. "Sure, I've had a lot of women and most couldn't hold a candle to Beth. But I still treated them right. I never left without saying goodbye and I never left her wondering if I was coming back or not." His brother pushed a finger into his chest. "You're an ass and I'm telling you to stay away from her."
Tyler pushed the finger away and raised one eyebrow. "You're awfully worked up over this. Maybe you're thinking you'd like Beth for yourself. Is that it?"
"You little son of a..."
"That's enough!" Cord came through the front door.
Tyler held his brother's glare.
"Beth's as close to a kid sister as we have, and I oughta pound the living stuffing out of you for what you did to her," Teddy continued.
Tyler was tired of everyone rubbing his nose in his mistake. He knew what he did was wrong and if he could change it, he would. Two years ago, he was a different man than he was today. He had Chase Boyd and his crew to thank for that---not his brothers.
Still, this was his family and he needed to make his peace with them---angry or not, wasn't that part of the reason he came home?
"I would never have left if I didn't do it that way. I couldn't handle a big emotional scene. It was the only way to do it at the time." He held up a hand to ward off Teddy's angry expression. "I'm not saying it was right."
"Yeah, well, instead of ripping into Cole, you should be on your knees thanking him for saving her life," Cord suggested.
"Cole was right," Teddy added. "You are like a kid who doesn't want anyone else playing with his toys."
"How was I supposed to know that's what was going to happen," Tyler said in his own defense. "Do you honestly think I'd have left if I thought that was going to happen?"
But if he hadn't have left, he'd be standing here today still wondering what it would be like to be out on his own. He'd wanted---no, needed---to know if he could make it on his own name and not as part of a package deal called The Double B. And not just for him.
Teddy studied him with steely eyes. "A man faces his problems head on. If you didn't love her and didn't want to marry her, then you should have told her face to face."
Tyler let his breath out. Why couldn't anyone understand? "I couldn't face her. I knew if I saw her, I'd never leave."
Cord shook his head in obvious disgust. "Then that should've told you something. But it's too late now. She's moved on, Ty. Cole's a good man. Stay away from her while you're home."
His brother's unspoken words hung in the air between them---Cord had given his blessing to their neighbor. Teddy crossed his arms over his chest and nodded in full agreement.
Tyler walked away. What else could he say? His own brothers thought he was wrong to come home. He'd been so full of hope driving back to the ranch last week. He'd even convinced himself that if he tried hard enough he could win Beth back.
Entering the Weston house, he headed to his bedroom, closed the door, and stripped off his shirt. In the bathroom, he ran the shower and stepped under the spray.
Maybe he was wrong to come back. At least on the Circle S he was respected, and no one questioned him. At home, everyone thought he was an idiot and told him what to do again.
Frustrated, he dried off and had just climbed into bed when his cell phone chimed with a text message. He picked it up off the nightstand.
Charli Boyd, Chase's gorgeous redheaded daughter. She'd always been a friend of the family, but in the last eighteen months they'd become the best of friends. He pushed the button and read the brief message.
How is it going? Any progress?
He tapped out a reply. Beth hates my guts and my brothers are ready to kill me for hurting her. She's dating our neighbor and her idiot business partner is living in the house I built for her. Other than that, just wonderful.
A few seconds later, her reply came through. Your brothers will come around. With Beth, you need to be on your knees buddy, serious groveling suggested. Stay strong! Call me if you need me. TTYL.
Tyler tossed the cell back on the side table, punched his pillow and flipped to his side. He knew right now that if he got on his knees in front of Beth, she'd plant one of her boots right in the middle of his face.
He closed his eyes and envisioned the Beth of his youth, waist length, white-blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She'd been a little dynamo and he'd worshipped the ground she walked on. If Beth said jump he asked 'How high'? That girl could twist him around her little finger and leave him wanting more.
He'd had to leave the way he did or he never would have. What no one understood was that if he'd faced her, told her he wanted to hit the road, she'd have said, "Let's go," and he'd have been powerless to stop her. She would have gone wherever he wanted to go and put her dreams on hold because she wanted to be with him.
When Doc handed her the veterinarian practice, he saw how much it had meant to her. It wasn't fair for him to ruin her dream because he wanted something else. He'd had to make a choice, stay here and worry that he was going to wake up at 40 and always wonder 'what if,' or leave her to her new dream to pursue his lifelong ones.
Back then, he'd been so convinced that was the only way he'd ever be happy, and that she would be happy. He thought he would've gone crazy stuck here on the ranch, working under his brothers and never being his own man.
Yes, he'd been a coward. He should've told her what he was going to do, what was bothering him. But she would have wanted to come with him, and how could he have let her sacrifice all she'd worked towards for an unknown road?
Ty gave up on sleep. He swung his legs off the side of the bed and flipped on the lamp on his nightstand. His room was the same as the day he left. The junk on his dresser in the same place it was the afternoon he left. The only thing missing was the note to his brothers and the one to Beth. What had she thought when she read it?
He dropped his head into his hands. The note had been another cowardly act to add to his list. Instead of leaving her completely, he invited her to join him at the end of summer in Abilene. Boyd had already asked him to help out with fall roundup and Tyler had agreed. His rationale had been that after she'd been home awhile and settled into her practice, if it hadn't worked out, hadn't been what she really wanted, she could still come with him.
She hadn't.
That whole month had been agony, wondering if she was coming. Charli had offered to call Beth, talk to her, but Tyler refused and made her swear she wouldn't interfere. Then the car accident happened and he'd been hospitalized with internal injuries at the holidays. He hadn't want Beth or his family to know. That wasn't the way he wanted a family reunion: full of pity, worry and even more hovering. Charli, bless her, had been true to her word---no one knew anything about why he hadn't come home for Christmas last year.
While he was working for Chase Boyd, he found what he had always wanted. He was his own boss and had a crew of his own working for him. He'd done it all in the past year and was pretty damn proud of his accomplishments. But something was missing, something he'd finally come to realize he'd left behind.
Tyler padded across his room. He could hear his brother in the room next door. Down the hall another door opened and closed. It must have been weird here last year with him gone and Buck moved out.
On his dresser, a picture of Beth smiled out at him. He picked it up and studied her beautiful face. He snapped that picture, out in the yard by the pool. She was eighteen and had just graduated from high school and her blue eyes sparkled with young love and laughter.
It couldn't be all gone. Yes, he screwed up and hurt her horribly, but something inside told him there was something still there. He loved her as much now as ever and he refused to believe she was as over him as everyone wanted him to believe. Charli's words rang through his head. "With Beth, you need to be on your knees buddy..."
Then that's exactly what he planned to do.
Beth opened the door to the clinic. She loved this time of day, when everything was quiet and she had her first cup of coffee with her patients. Jet had gone home the day after he arrived, but a new horse now paced restlessly in the corral.
The Pinto had a mask over his eyes that allowed him to see, but didn't allow any dirt or insects to torture his infected eyes. She'd been treating him for that as well as some other odd symptoms at his owner's ranch and finally decided to bring him here yesterday so she could watch him more closely and not have to keep driving out there. He wasn't a friendly horse, shying away from her touch even now.
She pushed the button and opened up the large wall that led to the outside. The horse didn't budge. "Come on Tex, it's okay," she coaxed from the doorway.
The horse moved further back into the arena. This was another problem she was dealing with---the horse seemed afraid of its own shadow. He hated being around other animals and had to be forced to go outside. Getting him here had been a struggle and a half. As much as she dreaded it, she might have to break down and ask Tyler's opinion. He'd always had a rare gift of being able to deal with even the most obstinate of horses; "horse whisperer" was what folks called him since they were kids.
Thinking of Tyler and remembering his comment last night about moving home made her heart race. What the hell was he talking about? That was the first she'd heard of him coming back to stay. Did everyone else know? Were they again trying to protect her? She knew she'd been a mess when he left, but that was almost two years ago; she was a different person now. Tyler Weston was not her concern any more.
Yep, you keep telling yourself that.
Back in the clinic, she poured a cup of coffee while the kittens tumbled around her feet on the floor. She smiled at their antics and headed to her computer.
"Beth?" Her sister Susan's voice came from the front reception area.
"In here," she yelled back from her small office. Susan was back from her trip to New York. Beth was glad to have her home now until after New Year's. It was way too quiet in the main house with everyone gone. Their oldest sister, Diane, had moved to Paris the year before to take a job as an interior designer. She wouldn't be home for Christmas this year.
Susan waved a bag in her hand. "I bought Kolaches on my way through Houston."
"You're my favorite sister." Beth leapt from her desk chair and followed her back to the small kitchenette.
Beth picked out two of the specialty treats from the white bag and set them on a plate. A few quick seconds in the microwave and they were piping hot. She set one in front of Susan with a cup of coffee and joined her at the small table.
Susan stared at her, causing Beth to pause in mid-bite. "What's wrong?"
"I heard about last night."
She snorted and sank her teeth into the sausage and cheese delight. "Not surprised."
Her sister pulled her breakfast apart and took the meat and cheese filling out before nibbling at the pastry. "I thought maybe you'd want to talk about it."
"Nope." Beth wiped her mouth with a napkin and sipped her coffee.
"You know, sometimes you're so much like Sara it's scary."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She stood up and reached for the little packet of hot sauce and sprinkled some inside the bakery treat.
"Meaning that you close up and don't talk to anyone. Just like when Tyler left."
Beth's heart constricted the way it always did when she remembered those first few days. "I'm over Tyler. What he does or doesn't do means nothing to me." She took a bite of the breakfast treat. "Did you know he was planning on moving back here permanently?" she ventured.
Susan's eyes widened. "You're kidding? Why?"
Well, at least one of the family wasn't hiding anything from her. She shrugged. "Beats me. I don't care anyway."
"You think you're really over him?" Her sister looked skeptical.
Beth set her breakfast on the plate and wiped her mouth. "Yep. I am completely indifferent to him and..." The memory of his kiss last night jutted into her mind. Her face flushed and she couldn't look Susan in the eye. "Wh-what we had was kid's stuff, just like Dad sometimes said."
Susan picked at the food on her plate. "Don't get mad at me, but ... do you ever think maybe it was for the best?"
Beth furrowed her brow. "For the best? What do you mean?"
"You two were so close for so long. You had the same dreams for so long and then, well, somewhere along the way your dream wasn't his anymore."
Beth couldn't believe her sister thought Ty was right to leave. "We were teenagers when Ty and I used to talk about hitting the road. It was like saying we were going to run away and join the circus. I don't know if I didn't believe we'd ever do it or what. I just knew I wanted to do whatever he wanted to do. I also didn't know Doc was going to retire and hand me the entire practice. I worked under him all my life; I couldn't let him down."
"Don't you think Tyler knew that? Maybe he was trying to make the decision easier on you?"
Beth's mouth dropped open. "Easier on me? By tearing me apart?"
"I'm not saying he was right the way he did it," Susan added quickly, putting her hand over Beth's. "But maybe he knew, in your heart, you didn't want to go with him."
"Everyone dreams about getting away from their hometown when they're kids. It was just time to grow up. Tyler was still a kid wanting to go play explorer or something. I think he thought he was going to find some new untamed wilderness somewhere." She shook her head remembering all the talks they'd had; his crazy, wild ideas for living off the land somewhere and making their way across the country working here or there. "Our fathers built this ranch. It's in our blood. I love being here, working in the same town I grew up in."
"I know; you're just like Sara." She squeezed Beth's hand. "You are both content to stay here until you die. But we're not all like that. I'm not, Diane isn't ... and maybe Tyler wasn't. Does that make us wrong because we don't feel the same need to be on this piece of dirt every day of our lives?"
Beth pulled her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest. "I never said it was for everyone. Besides, this has nothing to do with Tyler leaving, but how he left. I thought you knew all this?"
"Maybe he left before you got home because he figured you'd never let him leave." Beth opened her mouth to deny it, but Susan shook her head. "You loved him, and he loved you. Both of you couldn't have what you wanted and have each other, too. Maybe he did what he thought right for both of you, the only thing he could think of at the time."
Beth's eyes narrowed. "Have you been talking to him?"
Susan pulled back. "I don't need to. I understand all too well the urge inside to get the hell out of here." She pushed back her stylish hair and looked somewhere past Beth's shoulder. "When we were growing up, all Sara wanted to do was be a cowboy, she loved it so much. I tried to ride with her and Daddy, and I hated it. Not the horses or the land, but the smelly roundups, the work involved, the dirt." She screwed up her nose and laughed, then looked Beth in the eye. "I knew that I wasn't meant to live here. I think it was Mama's background. Her being from New York, somehow it called to me. I knew I was going there the minute I was done with school."
And she had. Susan left for New York City the summer after graduation, moving in with their older sister who'd already been there two years by then. Beth had never understood how the two of them could leave Texas, move to Manhattan and love it.
Having lost her appetite, Beth picked at the crust of her Kolache. She'd spent so much time the past two years hating Ty and what he did, that she never stopped to think maybe he had other motives than just running. When she was doing her residency work that last semester, she knew that they'd have to work some things out when she got home. But she always imagined they'd find a way. She always imagined they'd work it out, together. How could they work it out when he took off without talking to her? No, he should have come to her. If he'd told her what he was thinking, well, she didn't know what they would have done, but together they could have made it work. Instead, he took matters into his own hands, left her out, left her.
Susan stood up and set her plate in the sink. "I'm sorry for making you talk about this, but, to be honest, I'm home for the holidays too, and I'd hate to see the two of you at each other's throats the whole time. Whether what you had was teenager stuff or the real thing doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is a way for you both to find civil ground for the rest of us. Cord's about torn in half between worry about your health and his happiness that Tyler is home."
Beth stayed in her chair. Susan hands suddenly squeezed her shoulders, and she felt her sister kiss the top of her head. "Anyway, Flo sent me over here to tell you that the costumes are at the house. The kids will be here at three o'clock."
Beth nodded her head. "I'll be there in time to get dressed."
After the outer door closed, Beth moved automatically to her office. But the paperwork failed to draw her attention as much as the conversation with Susan. She wandered back to the corral and leaned over the railing, watching her patient. Tex hadn't moved much from the spot he was in this morning. He barely moved at all, simply stood in one place.
"What's the matter, buddy?" she crooned, wondering again if his issues were psychological rather than physical. "I promise we'll figure this out. I'm going to talk to a real expert on horses later today."
She turned from the corral, her mind whirling with everything Susan had said. For the first time, part of her felt some sympathy for what Tyler had gone through. Had he done the only thing he could do? Was Susan right? Would she have let him leave if he had talked to her? No, truth be told, she would have done everything---cried, begged, fought tooth and nail to get him not to leave her back then. And Tyler would have stayed. Then what? He would have only grown to resent her and the chains she put on him.
Then again, she wondered if that outcome would have been better than where they were now.
"I can't wear that." Beth shook her head firmly as she faced her sisters later that afternoon.
Susan held the shimmering costume out to her. "You have to. You're the only one it'll fit."
"I can't believe this! Didn't anyone check the costume order when they picked it up?" Beth held the skimpy suit against her. "This isn't a kid's version of the plump, lovable, Christmas cookie making old lady---it's some man's fantasy idea of Mrs. Claus."
The scanty red suit had a very low, scooped, fur-lined neck, extremely short skirt, matching stockings ... and red stilettos. Susan, who usually played Mrs. Claus to Cord's Santa, couldn't fit her full curves into it.
"Come on, Beth, the kids are too young to notice the difference. They'll be more interested in what Santa has in his bag anyway," Sara pleaded.
Beth glared. "I'll look like Santa traded Mrs. Claus in for a younger model." She eyed the red high heeled shoes that were tall enough to make her dizzy. "Has Cord seen this get up?"
"Yep, and he feels bad about it, but there's no time to do anything else." Sara folded her arms over her enormous belly. "You know I'd put it on if I could."
Beth shot her a glare. "Sure you would." She yanked her T-shirt up over her head. "This has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever had to do for this party, or for this family, for that matter."
"Not even close. Remember the year you and Tyler dressed up like a giant snowman, and you had to ride around on his shoulders all day?" Susan laughed.
Beth couldn't stop the smile that teased her lips. That had been a fun day. They'd never laughed so hard. He couldn't see outside the costume and she had to direct his walking for hours. He kept sliding his hands up to her butt and teasing her while she tried to keep them upright.
Pushing those dangerous thoughts away, she dropped her jeans and she picked up the stockings. "Mrs. Claus wears garter belts?" Her sisters laughed and she smiled. "You know who's going to have a field day with this? Teddy. He won't be able to stop the comments and you know it."
"I'll take care of Teddy," Susan said firmly.
Beth slipped into the bathroom and removed her bra. The costume came with a set of satin red panties that she supposed was due to the shortness of the skirt. It also came with a bright red thong. Beth set the thong aside and stepped into the costume.
"This is ridiculous," she called out to her sisters when she had the entire thing on.
Opening the door, she watched Sara's jaw drop open and Susan's grin widen.
She picked up the jaunty hat and set it at a sideways angle over her short hair. "I look like I'm doing a Christmas centerfold for Playboy."
Susan came up behind her and slipped a few pins in the hat to hold it to her hair. "You look fantastic. Too bad Cole isn't able to make it today."
"He'd have a damn heart attack," Sara snorted.
Beth took a deep breath and adjusted the fur lined collar that dipped indecently low on her breasts. "There's not this much cleavage in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated."
She shifted her breasts and tried desperately to make them look a bit less conspicuous.
"It's the push up bra effect." Susan finished adjusting the hat and stepped back. "Like a built in shelf to make them 'pop.'"
"They're popping already," Beth murmured, glancing in the mirror. "I always thought I was the small one in the family." She put her hands on her waist and twisted this way and that. The skirt just skimmed the top of her thighs and she grimaced. "Let's get this over with." She paused and stared at Susan in a gorgeous green dress with matching heels. "I thought you were wearing an elf costume."
"The order wasn't ready at the same time Ty picked up the costumes, and then Buck forgot to go back and pick them up." She glanced at Sara.
Sara shrugged. "His mind isn't on anything but this baby right now." She patted her stomach and didn't look in the least bit contrite.
Susan bent and plucked at the stockings on Beth's legs, straightening them.
Beth glanced in the mirror again, wondering how on earth she was going to find the confidence to walk downstairs. "Where do I go?"
Susan stood up. "Cord's waiting in the pantry. Sara will go first and make sure the coast is clear and get you hidden in there. Once the kids are here and settled in, we'll come get you."
Beth grabbed the oversize book she was supposed to read to the kids then slipped off the stilettos so she wouldn't make any noise---or tumble---on the steps on her way down.
At the bottom of the staircase, she waited until Sara waved to her.
"No one's here, come on."
Beth crept the rest of the way down and tiptoed past Sara. At the door to the pantry, she paused long enough to slip her shoes back on and then opened the door and stepped inside. The interior was dark and she waited for her eyes to adjust. She closed the door with a click making sure it was secured.
"Holy Christmas!" a muffled voice whispered low from behind.
Beth whirled around to shush Cord, but the man in the traditional Santa suit was way too tall to be the oldest Weston.
One look up into those wide brown eyes and she knew exactly who was playing Santa this year.
Tyler's gaze raked her from head to toe and slowly back up again. Tingles broke out on her arms at his leisurely exploration. She forced back the urge to cover her exposed chest with her arms.
"Why are you being Santa?" she hissed, keeping her voice down.
Santa/Tyler shrugged. "Cord called, said he couldn't get back in time. Buck was too big for the costume and Teddy had a gig with the band ... so here I am."
Beth narrowed her eyes. Between the pornographic costume and now Tyler as Santa, something was going on. "I smell something incredibly fishy in here."
"Not me. I smell something wonderful." He took two steps closer and leaned over to sniff at her neck. She jerked back but hit the door in the narrow confines of the room.
"Is that gingerbread perfume or something? You smell like a Christmas cookie."
Beth sighed. "Yes. Mrs. Claus is supposed to smell like Christmas cookies."
"Makes me want to take a nibble." His eyes were on the dark shadow of her ample cleavage.
Heat burned her cheeks. He looked like he wanted to devour her. Her nipples peaked behind the material and she only hoped the cloth was heavy enough to hide her reaction.
The sack he'd had on his back dropped to the floor. "You don't look like any Mrs. Claus I've ever seen."
Beth yanked her top up higher. "They mixed up the costumes at the store and Susan couldn't fit into this one, so I got stuck wearing it."
Tyler laid one white-gloved hand on the door next to her head. His eyes smoldered with fire and hers widened at the naked desire he didn't try to disguise.
"Santa is a lucky man," he said hoarsely.
A tumble of confusing thoughts and conflicting emotions raced through her. His eyes told her exactly what he wanted to do to her. Her heart thudded and her breath quickened.
One gloved finger trailed along the white fur lined collar. The cloth felt odd against her bare skin and goose bumps erupted. Her insides began to jingle like the bells on his belt. Tyler lowered his head towards her and the book in her hands fell to the floor.
"Don't," she whispered, even as her eyes closed and she wet her lips in anticipation.
But the kiss didn't come. She opened her eyes.
Averting his gaze, Tyler pushed away from the door. "Sorry, I got caught up in my role."
He reached down and hoisted his sack to his back. Beth looked up, noting how he struggled to hold himself in check. The raw emotion in his eyes matched what she was feeling inside. It had been a long time since she'd been this turned on. She actually wanted to lock the door and make everyone wait while Mr. and Mrs. Santa got it on.
Unable to keep looking at him, she picked up the book she dropped, ignoring the hiss of his breath when she bent down. She knew he'd gotten more than an eyeful of her breasts. She spun around and faced the door, waiting impatiently for their signal.
Tyler shifted and the heat from his body seared into her. The heavy fur costume must really be hot.
"Tell me you got bright red garters on under that skirt," he whispered next to her ear.
Beth couldn't stop the grin and ducked her head. Tyler always had a weakness for stockings and garter belts. She'd amassed a huge collection while they'd been lovers. She nodded.
He moved even closer, his gloved hand tracing along the bottom edge of her skirt. "I bet this fur would tickle my nose," he murmured.
The image of his lips at the top of her thighs and then higher flashed across her mind. Her mouth opened as her eyes closed and she fought down the urge to turn around and let him know how his words had affected her.
Cool air brushed the back of her thighs when he lifted the edge of her skirt, slowly exposing her rounded rear end to his view.
"So beautiful," he muttered.
She leaned her forehead against the door. The sack hitting the floor echoed again, seconds before both his hands swept the skirt of her costume up.
Just the thought of him staring at the satin panties caused her temperature to spike even higher. This was so wrong. It felt dirty, and yet, turned her on more, like part of some kinky fairytale. She was a Mrs. Claus made for being undressed, and he was Santa ready to have his way with her.
His lips caressed the back of her neck and she trembled. He reached around, wasting no time before sliding his hand inside the low collar of her costume. Cotton covered fingers massaged her nipple and her breath caught. The odd sensation of gloved hand on her breast made her whimper with pleasure.
"Mmmm, little holly berries," he whispered along her ear. "All puckered up." His fingers rolled her nipple making it pebble harder.
His other hand slipped between her legs from behind. Somehow he'd removed his glove from that hand because bare fingers caressed her skin. He traced a pattern along the edge of the elastic of her panties, torturing her with his touch. Then he slid the elastic aside, lifted it until one bare cheek popped free. He cupped the rounded mount in his hand and squeezed gently.
His hand under her skirt slipped from her rear end to sneak around and slide along the satin covering her front. He traced one finger on the damp outside of her panties and she couldn't help shifting into his touch. Her breath came faster and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her breasts were heavy and aching, and while his fingers tormented first one and then the other, she longed for his mouth on her.
He teased her, stroked her lightly, then harder, then lighter again, knowing exactly what she liked and where she liked it. When he gently eased the material aside and touched her, Beth's knees buckled.
Tyler held her up, nibbled on her neck, pulled on her earlobe with his mouth and bit her lightly with his teeth, all the while rubbing between her legs, soothing the ache that was building, and giving her exactly what she'd been missing for the past two years.
All reasoning disappeared. All rational thought of right or wrong were flung aside. She hadn't been touched intimately in so long, hadn't felt this good in so long that she was powerless to stop now, even if she wanted to.
Her head spun and her body throbbed with her impending release. She moaned and twitched back against him, moving her hips in rhythm with the stroking of his hands. One long finger slid inside her and she cried out. Warmth washed over her and she rocked back against his hand as he stroked her inside and out. Within seconds he brought her to a shaking climax and pressed closed, holding her against the door as her legs trembled.
As her body convulsed, Beth bit down hard on her lip to keep the screams to herself.
"Easy there, Mrs. Claus."
Tyler's fingers slowed and soothed and then were gone. He squeezed her breast one more time and then took his hands from her body.
Beth kept her eyes closed tight and her head against the door. Her entire body burned with embarrassment. What the hell kind of woman lets something like that happen? He touched her shoulders, urging her to turn around but she struggled against him. Before he could force her to turn, three sharp knocks on the door brought them quickly back to reality.
They had to perform ... for children! She covered her cheeks with her hands. Burning hot, they'd surely be stained red.
Beth fumbled with the door knob trying to get it open and bumped into Tyler's front as she struggled. He cussed, and she glanced back over her shoulder.
He grimaced. "Santa has a hard-on."
Having nothing to respond to that but a quick gasp, she yanked open the door and stumbled into the kitchen on her way-too-high heels.
Tyler reached for Beth's hand as they walked through the kitchen to the strains of Here Comes Santa Claus. He studied her as they neared the doors to the main room. Her cheeks were stained bright pink and he knew it wasn't the make up. He should feel like a heel for touching her like he did, taking advantage of the cramped space, but he didn't. She could easily have swatted his hands away or told him in no uncertain terms to go to hell. Both of which he had fully expected. It was very interesting that she'd allowed him to do what he'd done. He frowned. Why had she? Wait...had he just been used?
He winced as the part of anatomy that definitely was not part of the childhood fantasy of Santa reminded him of how one sided that little interlude had been. Had he just been played? Had Beth taken the pleasure he'd offered, knowing there wasn't any way she was going to have to reciprocate because they'd be on stage any minute?
He watched as she laughed at the children's singing and waved to them as they walked through the room and began to mingle with the kids. As if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Shaking his head and forcing a hardy, "Ho, ho, ho," he smiled at children's bright faces in the large room that had been transformed into Santa's headquarters. The decorators had done an astounding job and Tyler felt a pang in his chest that he'd missed last year's celebration. A mountain of gifts were stacked to resemble a Christmas tree and Tyler loved the looks on the kids' faces as they realized the gifts were going to be for them before the end of the party.
Beth slipped her hand from his and began to hug children and speak to them. Susan and Teddy stood on a small stage singing Christmas carols. Tyler saw his brother's face as he caught sight of Beth's outfit. Thankfully, Susan was on it and elbowed Teddy, drawing his attention back to the singing. Around them, Cord, Buck, and Sara all mingled with the kids. Funny how Cord suddenly made it back when earlier he was absolutely certain he'd be tied up all afternoon. Flo would be in the kitchen again making sure the food was being prepared the way she wanted it.
Tyler loved the way the kids' eyes lit when they saw him, or when he touched their cheeks. Even the older kids who tried to look tough seemed to melt when he winked at them. This Santa gig was pretty cool.
Beth was back at his side as Mrs. Anderson, the Director of the Children's Home, approached them both.
She smiled and shook his hand. "Thank you, Santa. We're so happy you could be here."
"I wouldn't miss this for anything. We were on our way back to the North Pole from a brief vacation in Hawaii and I knew I had to stop by the Double B."
"How was Hawaii, Santa?" Mrs. Anderson asked, playing along.
He turned and slid his arm around Beth. "It was warm and sunny. You should see Mrs. Claus in her red bikini, quite a sight I have to tell you."
Mrs. Anderson laughed. Tyler squeezed where his hand rested on Beth's hip. He was surprised when she slid her own arm around his waist. In a flash, he could easily imagine Beth in the imaginary bikini, maybe with the same stiletto heels---now that would be a fantasy.
"Well, we don't want to see Santa in a bathing suit right away," Beth began with a pinch to his side. "He put on a bunch of weight sitting around all summer. After Christmas, I'm putting him on a strict 'no cookies diet'."
Tyler couldn't resist. "Oh, but Mrs. Claus, you know I can't resist your cookies." He wiggled his very bushy white eyebrows.
Beth's face flushed, but she didn't have anything to say to that.
Mrs. Anderson seemed to sense there was something going on and grinned. "If you'll excuse me Santa, I think I'll go help the elves get the gifts ready."
Though she moved away, Tyler didn't move his arm from around Beth's waist. He smiled and nodded to the kids but spoke to her out of the corner of his mouth. "Now what do we do?"
"I don't know, you're the boss, Santa," she said.
"I know what I'd like to do." He continued to wave and smile at the kids even as they talked.
"What's that?"
He kept his voice low, only for her ears. "I'd like to take you back to the pantry, hoist you up on that shelf that's about waist high, flip up that little excuse for a skirt and..." He waved to a little girl who blew him a kiss.
"Stop that! You have to be larger than life to these kids."
Tyler looked at her pointedly. "Oh, trust me, sweetheart. Right now I am much larger than life."
He waited for her to turn even redder but instead she smiled up. "Would you like me to get one of the reindeers for you?"
He growled.
Susan's voice blasted from the microphone. "Santa? Would you and Mrs. Claus like to do some dancing for us?"
Tyler nodded. He'd never played the role of Santa before, but he'd watched Cord do it for years and knew the routine. He spun Mrs. Santa out onto the dance floor but only for a few seconds before they broke apart and both picked out a little boy or girl to dance with. The kids squealed as Santa jiggled to Jingle Bell Rock and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. The little girls stood on his black boots and hung on as he spun them around as if they were at a ball.
His heart ached, knowing some of these kids had never known the joy of a parent or dancing with a father. He related so easily to these kids who, for one reason or another, were being raised by people other than their parents. Some were true orphans, others were here because their parents had such severe addictions they couldn't take care of them. Even though he and his brothers had Beth's father and Flo and Sam, he always would wonder how life would have been if his parents had lived.
Several songs later, Santa was beginning to perspire in his hot suit. He looked pleadingly at his brother on stage. Teddy nodded in understanding.
The strains of White Christmas began and he turned to catch Beth's eye. Holding out his hand, he bowed from the waist. "May I have this last dance, Mrs. Claus?"
She dropped a slight curtsy in front of him. "It would be my pleasure, Santa."
He gently drew her into his arms and they began to waltz. Beth smiled widely and, although he knew it was for the kids, it warmed his heart to see her looking so happy. The dance could go on all afternoon and he wouldn't have been tired of touching her.
Having her in his arms again was all he wanted for Christmas.
"You're very light on your feet, even with that round belly," she teased.
"There's a lot of things I could do with this round belly," he teased back, waggling his eyebrows at her.
"Hmm, I do like a man with something to hang on to," she said. He spun her out and then back up against his chest wishing he didn't have on so much padding and could feel her breasts against him.
"I got something you could hang onto, Angel," he whispered, pleased to see her face redden at his truthful words. No matter what she said, Beth wasn't indifferent to him. That alone gave him hope. Maybe he had a sliver of a chance of making things right with her.
He smiled at the twinkle in her eyes as he danced her around the great room feeling like a fat Fred Astaire from the old movies Flo used to watch.
"It's a good thing those dance lessons we took in high school paid off. Even though you grumbled about them every week."
"I never grumbled."
"Oh, ho, ho, I think Santa lies," she said, not letting the kids hear.
Tyler spun her out and then twirled her around until he knew she was dizzy.
Just as planned, she clutched at him when he brought her back against him. "That's what you get for calling Santa a liar."
"Santa, that's not nice," she scolded.
Tyler looked into her overly bright eyes and flicked his gaze to the swell of her breasts. "Santa is always nice, Mrs. Claus," he said loudly, then softer for her ears only he promised, "But he's willing to be naughty if you want."
She stiffened in his arms and looked away. For several minutes they danced in silence.
"I miss snow," she said suddenly.
Tyler frowned, wondering where that had come from. The words of the song finally registered with him. Oh right, Teddy and Susan were singing White Christmas in duet.
"You used to say the winters in New York were awful, and you couldn't wait to get out of the cold."
She shrugged. "I know, but this time of year there's something magical about it."
"Remember when we were kids, and you used to wish every year that it would snow on Christmas?"
That was obviously the wrong thing to say. She narrowed her eyes, looked away and put a considerable amount of distance between their bodies. When the song ended, she jerked away.
"Santa? Would you like to get started?" Susan's voice carried across the room.
Tyler nodded and, before Beth could get too far, reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her back to his side. "Mrs. Claus, it would appear time for us to distribute some presents."
She tried to pull her hand free but he held firm until she stopped struggling. The smile on her face was forced and didn't meet her eyes. He shook his head slightly. There was no way he was going to make anything right with her if he had to watch every word he said. For a few minutes there, he'd had some hope, but now she was as cold as the snow she longed for.
Tyler released her hand as they reached the thrones at the front of the room.
Sara, who couldn't be an elf this year if she tried, waddled over. "We're going to have the kids come up and tell you what they want one at a time. Then we'll lead them over to the present mountain and help them find their gifts."
"Thank you, Mrs. Weston. Santa will be certain to remember you this year with something extra special."
"Just make sure it isn't this baby too early, that's all." She signaled to Susan for the first names to be called.
One by one, the kids climbed onto Ty's lap. The older ones shook his hand and smiled shyly. After a few minutes of talking with Santa, they scampered over to Sara and the elves who helped them find gifts in the mound of brightly wrapped boxes.
When the last child had his gift, Tyler stood up and moved about the room. There were batteries to be installed and tiny parts to be assembled. Even some of the ranch hands like Sam were out there lending a hand. The grizzled old man's eyes lit up when a little girl pressed her lips to his cheek.
Teddy was at the piano, a golden haired child on his knee, while Susan stood behind them and turned the pages for the carols. The young girl must have known how to play as she held her fingers daintily on the keys as Teddy looked on.
Sara and Buck stood arm in arm talking with Mrs. Anderson.
In the far corner, he caught sight of Beth opening the large book. Several kids scampered to sit at her feet. He watched her as she acted out each part, her eyes bright as she turned the pages. Six kids. They'd once said they would fill their home with kids and animals, at least six of each.
She lifted her eyes and met his gaze. For half-a-second, an old familiar look passed between them, and then it was gone. Tyler wondered if he'd just imagined it. His heart squeezed, remembering when she'd look at him like that every day.
He leaned in, wanting to get as close as he could to hear the soft tones of her voice.
"And this is Santa's favorite part in the whole story." She looked up and Tyler blinked. He'd been listening to her voice but not the story. He furrowed his brow. Her short red fingernail pointed to a line in the book.
"Don't you know that Bumbles bounce?" he recited, and the kids laughed.
She finished the story, but once again Tyler wasn't listening. Memories washed over him. So many little things ... his favorite story, her Christmas wishes. Their lives were intertwined; they shared a past. How was he going to move on if all that was really gone?
His chest was heavy and tightened. Was this how Beth felt when she came home and he was gone? Tyler swallowed, hard. He'd always known it would be hard on her, but until this moment, he didn't really understand that scary feeling of loss---everything that had been left behind, discarded, and faded in a pile of broken dreams.
He glanced down at her soft blonde hair, wanting nothing more than to run his hand over the glistening strands. I have to make it up to her. He couldn't even think about what he'd do if she wouldn't give him a second chance.
"Chow's on!" LoneStar owner, Bill, rang jingle bells from the dining room, signaling the buffet was ready. The kids raced towards the doorway. He held up his hand to make them stop running and form an orderly line. They obeyed immediately.
Slapping his hands together, he addressed the children, "Go for it."
They ran into the dining room, giggling and laughing.
"I heard there's enough food in there to feed a third world country," Sara said, picking up someone's doll that had been set aside.
"Good, then we won't have to worry about you going hungry," Tyler teased and received a smack in the arm.
"I may be hugely pregnant, but I can still take you."
Tyler laughed and followed the kids into the formal dining room. The table was laden with every kid food imaginable, tamales and tacos, empanadas and barbecue, and there would be plenty of cookies after this for dessert. Flo stood next to Sam helping fix plates and clean up minor spills. Their adored housekeeper was in her element, and Tyler watched her eyes fill with warmth and tenderness. Nothing made Flo happier than filling bellies with food.
He laughed at Beth as she forked barbecue into her mouth.
"A little hungry Mrs. Claus?"
She glanced up and shrugged. "I love Flo's food."
"I know, here." He held out a large forkful and she shook her head but he insisted. "Go on, you know you want it."
She leaned forward and took the fork between her lips. Tyler couldn't help but enjoy the sight of her bright red lips closing over his fork. Sauce trickled down her chin and, without even thinking, he leaned forward and lapped it off with his tongue.
"Oooh, Santa is kissing Mrs. Santa," one of the kids exclaimed.
Tyler grinned and glanced to the side. "Santa loves kissing Mrs. Claus. Want me to do it again?"
The kids cheered and encouraged him. He took her plate out of her hands and set it along with his on the table. Though her eyes warned him not to, he ignored her. She wouldn't make a scene in front of the kids. He pulled her into his arms and dipped her dramatically over his arm the way Teddy had under the mistletoe.
Pressing his lips to hers, he tried to make the kiss funny for the kids. They giggled as he smacked loudly, rubbing his mouth back and forth over hers. She kept her mouth closed tight.
Her eyes were anything but warm and welcoming as he swung her back on her feet.
"Santa you got lipstick all over you," another little girl yelled on a giggle.
Without making eye contact, Beth handed him a napkin. He wiped his mouth, his heart sinking even lower in his gut at her indifferent reaction.
An hour later, Tyler watched the last of the children parade out the door. Flo and Sam had put all the leftover food and some other goodies in the bus for them, and Mrs. Anderson now stood thanking them both.
He turned to see if anyone forgot anything and a jolt coursed through him as if he'd stuck his finger in an outlet. Beth was bent over in front of his throne, picking up scraps of paper and ribbon. The bright red panties were like a flag to a bull. His body jerked into awareness, and he couldn't stop the groan that emitted low in his throat.
As he watched helplessly, she stood up and tossed some decorations into the garbage bag. He crossed the room and plopped down onto his throne. Catching her hand, he tugged until she tumbled onto his lap.
"Why don't you tell Santa what you want for Christmas?" He placed his gloved hand on her thigh and tried to reach up under her skirt, but she swatted his hand away. She struggled to climb off. He held her firm.
"Come on Ty, the kids are gone, let go."
He frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I want to get out of this tacky costume."
"I'd be more than happy to help you out with that." He wiggled his eyebrows but she only frowned once more and struggled harder against his hold.
"You better sit still or Santa will have something harder than a candy cane."
She glared. "That's your problem."
He lifted one eyebrow. "Ouch."
She shrugged and tossed her short hair. Unable to stop himself from remembering what she felt like in his hands, Tyler's gaze drifted to her chest. He caressed her bared thigh. "Don't you have anything to say about what happened in the pantry?"
She gave him the coldest stare he'd ever seen and brushed his hand away. "Thanks. I was out of batteries."
Tyler frowned. Why was she talking about toys? Then, as the meaning sunk in, his jaw dropped in shock and his hold slackened. She scampered away without a backward glance.
Beth pulled the door to the LoneStar open and hurried inside. The Bar and Grill was semi-empty, which was exactly why she came when she did. Sheriff Ralston sat at the bar drinking coffee and chatting with Bill, the owner. Both men turned and smiled as she stepped closer.
"Hey, Doc Beth. What brings you here this afternoon. The patients getting to you? Need a drink?"
Beth grinned. "Nope. Been pretty quiet, even with Grant gone." She turned to Bill. "I decided it was time for Bill to have his Christmas gift."
The bartender's eyebrow shot up. "A gift for me?"
She unzipped her coat and pulled out the two kittens, holding them up for him to see. "These two need a home and"
Bill's eyes lit up like the lights on the River Walk at Christmas, but he didn't reach out to touch them. He looked scared as his eyes darted to each little grey face. "I don't know, Beth. You know how hard it was for me to lose Dusty. I'm not sure I'm ready..."
Beth walked around the bar, opened the half door and moved to his side. She held one kitten out and he automatically reached for it. "These guys were abandoned. I've hand nursed them since they were about two weeks old. They need someone who won't just turn them into barn cats."
Bill lived above the LoneStar by himself. His old cat Dusty had died the summer before, and Beth knew these kittens were exactly what Santa needed to bring the town's favorite bartender this year. She watched as he held the tiny fur ball up to his face and studied the kitten. "Well, maybe one of them would be okay."
Beth shook her head and shoved the second kitten towards him. "Nope. They're a package deal, my friend. Inseparable. Two brothers and I'm not about to break up the family."
She grinned and tossed a glance over her shoulder at the sheriff who was smiling. Beth picked up the coffee pot and refilled his cup then grabbed one for herself. "So, what's new, Conrad?"
She walked back around to the other side of the bar and settled onto the stool next to the large man. A few years older than she, Conrad had gone to school with her sister Diane. Personally, Beth always thought he was a bit full of himself, but he definitely was the right man for the job he held.
"Oh, you know. Murders, gang violence, armed robbery. The usual happenings in Sweet Meadow." Conrad grinned and sipped his coffee.
Beth grinned. "I see you're just exhausted from all that pressure."
Conrad laughed. "Hey, you try dealing with the Calkins. I had another domestic disturbance out there this morning at four A.M."
Beth shook her head. "Those two have been fighting since the fourth grade. Lord knows what possessed them to marry one another and have kids."
The sheriff nodded. "There's times like that when I'm grateful to be single, ain't that right, Bill?"
Bill had his head down but smiled from ear to ear. "I suppose," he muttered.
Beth's insides warmed as she watched the other man study his new pals. She sipped her coffee and set it down. "You two are full of it. I know darn well that if a busload of eligible women rolled into town, you'd be the first ones in line."
"Behind Cord you mean." Bill smirked.
"Yeah, behind Cord," Beth agreed. "Of course, then there'd be Teddy, who would be there for entirely different reasons."
"That one doesn't need a busload of women to show up, somehow they find him. Pulls them out of the dang woodwork I swear," Conrad complained and pushed his cup away. "Well you two, thanks for the break, but I can't let this town think the sheriff is off on another break. Who knows what trouble could erupt?" He picked up his hat and stood. "By the way, Beth, how's Tyler doing? Heard he was home for the holidays." His gaze into her eyes was steady.
She lifted her chin. "He's fine, no problem. It's ... fine."
"Well, if it doesn't go fine, you let me know." He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "I'd be more than happy to straighten that boy out."
Beth blushed, although she had to admit, it felt good to know so many people were on her side. She swung around on her bar stool. "How's Marshall doing?"
Conrad paused in mid-stride and pointed his finger at her. "He's fine and healthy, and we don't need any strays finding their way to my place this holiday season. So put that idea back in that pretty little head of yours."
She laughed. "I was just asking, that's all. Just asking." Last year a straggly German Shepard had found his way to her. Firemen have Dalmatians and the police have German Shepherds, so she'd reasoned it made sense that he had to go to the sheriff. Fortunately, Conrad had agreed, eventually.
Beth sipped her coffee and watched the kittens behind the bar tumble and chase each other.
Bill wiped down the counter in front of her. "How's Grant doing?"
"Good, I think." She set her coffee cup down. "I haven't talked to him as much as I thought I would. He must be busy with the family. I was worried, a little, at handling everything myself, but things are pretty calm."
Bill poured her more coffee. He reached behind him and pulled out a container of homemade cookies and set a couple on a plate next to her. "Eat these---but quietly. If the health department ever catches me serving Flo's homemade cookies, they'll have my license."
Beth took a big bite of a bell-shaped treat loaded with homemade frosting. "She meant for you to have them at your place, not the bar."
"If I had them at my place, I'd weigh five hundred pounds. Does she forget I live alone?"
Beth frowned. Poor Bill. All these years, he'd never met anyone. Conrad, too, for that matter. Two more great guys. Why couldn't she have fallen in love with either of them? At least they knew where home was and wanted nothing more than to stay in Sweet Meadow.
"I heard Tyler's thinking about staying put, not leaving after Christmas." Bill rinsed glasses in the small sink behind the bar.
The knife in her heart twisted harder and she caught her breath. "Yeah, that's what he's saying, but I don't think so. He's not interested in staying here; all he ever talked about was getting away and never looking back. Heck, Bill, he never even came home last Christmas. When Cord tried to call him, he wouldn't even answer his phone."
Bill shrugged. "That was bad. Don't know what it is about him. Me, I can't imagine living anywhere else."
She nodded. "Me either." But part of her felt guilty. There was certainly a time when Tyler's dream and hers were the same. They couldn't wait to grow up and get out of town. There was more to life than Main Street, Sweet Meadow. She'd wanted the same thing as Tyler: to find out what life was like if you weren't part of the Double B, weren't part of the most influential family in this part of the state.
The problem was, she'd had her turn out in the world. At Cornell, she'd been a complete stranger to everyone. It didn't matter who her family was or what her last name was; she was just another veterinarian student. Even most of her professors wouldn't have known her if she bumped into them at the store. She'd found out first hand how cold and lonely life could be. Coming back home, where you couldn't go anywhere without seeing someone you grew up with or someone's folks or someone's grandparents, was like a warm blanket wrapping around you. She never knew how much it meant until she'd lost it.
She picked up her cup of coffee and finished it off. Susan was right. If Tyler had stayed and wanted her to go with him, she would have had a really tough decision. If she'd gone with Tyler, would she have been so homesick that eventually she would have been forced to choose between home and him? What choice would she have made? She'd like to fool herself into thinking it would have been love conquerors all, but was that really what would have happened? Would she have grown to resent him for making her pick one or the other?
She'd never know ... because he never let her make that choice. He'd made it for her and that was the worst part of the entire mess. She drained her coffee, glanced at the time on her cell phone and sighed. "I gotta get back. Thanks for the coffee and cookies."
Bill picked up one of the kittens. "Thanks for these guys, Beth. You know I'll take good care of them."
She winked and walked away. "Let me know if you need anything. Probably see you Saturday night."
Her phone vibrated as she pushed the door open and stepped outside. A text message from Cole, Mare in labor.
She ran the rest of the way to her truck, mentally checking off what she'd need and assuring herself it was all there in the back so she didn't need to stop home first. A quick text back and she was flying down the road toward the Pritchard ranch.
Beth's truck flew passed his. Tyler lifted his hand and waved, but she ignored him and kept on going. His first inclination was to go after her and demand she talk to him. Since the day of the Christmas party, she'd been avoiding him. He'd love to corner her and force her to talk, but that wasn't going to fix this. The best he could do was give her some space, so he kept driving towards town and tried to put her annoyance with him out of his mind.
Late afternoon in Sweet Meadow was quiet. Most folks worked until five and so the 'rush hour' hadn't begun yet. Tyler parked on Main Street and pulled open the door to the boutique. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he glanced around with no real idea what he was looking for. He still needed to get a Christmas gift for Flo and the girls, but this place didn't look like it would have anything for most of them. Maybe Susan; he fingered a silky shawl and wondered if she wore anything like that.
An hour later, with the sales girl's more than eager help, he managed to find something for Susan and even Sara, but Flo and Beth were still on his list. He tossed the packages into his truck and walked across the street to another store. He'd barely opened the door before he stepped out again. The window at the jewelry shop next door caught his attention and he found himself staring at rings. Where was Beth's engagement ring? Obviously she wouldn't still wear it, but he wondered if she'd tucked it away somewhere.
Opening the door, he stepped inside even as a voice in his head told him a gift of jewelry was the last thing she wanted from him.
The salesman showed him gold bracelets, diamond earrings, and emeralds the size of peas. Nothing seemed right. He did manage to find a pin and matching earrings for Flo, but came up empty-handed for Beth
The salesman took his credit card and walked away. Tyler glanced around at the holiday decorations. The dolls dressed like Santa and Mrs. Claus took his memory back to the pantry a few days ago. Beth had been sexy as hell, and he couldn't get the image of her out of his mind. He couldn't stop himself from touching her, and she'd responded as if she was dying of thirst and he was a tall glass of cool water.
His jeans tightened and he shifted in discomfort. She'd trembled in his arms and cried out when he'd stroked her. Dr. Beth Sampson might like him and everyone else to believe she'd gotten over him, but her body told him otherwise. Or was it something else? Was it only a physical reaction? Did she respond to Cole in the same way?
Beth wiped impatiently at the sweat streaming down her face and grimaced again as the horse tried to jerk away from her touch. "Shh, easy, Princess. I'm sorry sweetie." Her hand inside the horse's birth canal, she turned and twisted one of the foals while Cole tried to hold the mare still. Dropping back to her heels she shook her head. "I can't turn him. The two of them are stuck in there together."
Frustration edged her voice and her mind raced, wondering what to do next. She'd been at this for hours with Cole, and neither one had been able to do anything for the mother or her twins.
"Try Doc's phone again," she snapped.
Cole shook his head. "Honey, he's out on a cruise ship. He can't get calls, you know that."
Beth lowered her head to her chest. She'd already tried Grant, but he too was out of reach. There was only one other person she knew who might be able to do anything different than she was already doing. Swallowing hard she yanked the phone off her belt. Her bloody gloved hands made a mess but she was beyond caring.
She stood up and walked out of the stall, sensing Cole's stare. The phone was answered on the second ring. "I'm out at Cole's. I need your help." Quickly she explained what was happening and hung up the phone. She turned to Cole. "Tyler's coming."
He lifted a surprised brow. "You okay with that?"
She nodded. "I have no idea if he can do anything we haven't already done, but I need to know I did everything I could for her." Her frustration threatened to choke her as she watched the mare's heaving sides. Time wasn't on their side, and she had a bad feeling one of the foals had already died. Her goal right now was to save the mare's life and, if possible, one of the babies. With the stethoscope at her ear and against the horse's brown side, she listened. Very, very faint, she could pick up a heart beat, maybe two, but she wasn't going to get her hopes up ... or Cole's.
In what seemed only thankful minutes, a truck roared up the driveway.
Cole walked out of the stall and she heard the two men talking. When Tyler appeared at the doorway, her heart quickened. She struggled for professional detachment but couldn't help her relief. Quickly, she ran down what was going on. He grabbed a pair of gloves out of the box and squatted down next to her by the horse's rump.
He put his hands on the mare's side and felt around. "I'm going to go up and see if I can turn them."
Beth shook her head. "Both Cole and I have been trying. It's only making things worse."
He ignored her and she moved to the mare's side as he reached up inside the horse. The mare jerked and whinnied. Beth's heart broke for her. Cole held her down and she watched his face as well. He'd had Princess a long time and this was rough on him.
"Maybe I should try to put her under and do a C-section." She should have done that an hour ago, but thought it was too dangerous. Now she figured it might be their only chance to save the mother.
Tyler shook his head. "No, that's dangerous and your chances of losing her are too big."
"I'm already losing them Tyler," she screamed in frustration, and then realized she was upsetting the mare and calmed down. What the hell kind of vet was she? Why couldn't she emotionally shut this off and just do her job?
Tyler didn't say anything. His face contorted and changed as he felt around inside the horse. One eyebrow lifted and he nodded. "Okay, now we're getting somewhere. I can do this."
Beth frowned. "Do what?"
He ignored her question. "Cole, come here."
The rancher moved where Tyler was positioned. Under his instructions, Cole worked with him and, seconds later, a foal hit the stall floor. Beth's eyes widened, not sure what he'd done but elated that at least one baby was out. But the foal wasn't moving.
"Let me see him," she hollered.
Cole switched with her and held the mother down while Beth put her stethoscope on the newborn. She wiped at his nose and mouth and worked on him for several futile minutes. She bowed her head and clenched her jaw against the threatening tears.
Tyler picked the still foal up and carried him out of the stall and then came back. "We still have a mother and another baby to save."
Beth forced back all thoughts of the loss and put her professional face back in place. With the one baby out, chances were better for the second. She laid her stethoscope on the mother again. Her heartbeat was dropping, but she could still hear another one inside. She glanced up. "The second one is sill alive."
Tyler once again reached up inside the mother and worked whatever magical touch he possessed and, within seconds, the second baby was born, alive and seemingly healthy. But the mare wasn't making it. Feverishly, Beth worked on her, doing everything in her power to get the animal stable. In the end, the events of the birth proved too much, and the horse slipped away.
Beth sat back on her haunches wanting to cry, knowing she couldn't. She stood up and faced Cole. "I'm so sorry."
Cole nodded and glanced at the horse. He swallowed several times and struggle for control. "You did everything you could."
Tyler put a hand on Cole's shoulder and walked away. Beth heard him on the cell phone, calling over to the Double B for a few hands to come out and help with the dead mare and her foal.
Beth stared at the live newborn already wobbling on his first legs. "I'll get him started right away on a bottle of nutrients, formula, etc."
Tyler walked back into the stall. "We've got a mare that just gave birth a few days ago. Maybe we can get her to think this one's hers as well."
Beth forgot about that and felt like an idiot. She should have suggested it, not Tyler. "Yeah, MoonDancer, Susan's horse."
Cole picked up a rag and wiped his hands. "I think it's best we get him there as soon as possible, don't you think?"
Beth nodded. "Yes."
"I'll stay here and help Red and Slim," Tyler offered.
Beth kept the baby calm in the horse trailer as Cole drove the truck to the ranch. As soon as they reached the barn, they got the colt into the stall with MoonDancer. It was touch and go for a few minutes as they took one foal away from the mare and replaced it with another, but, within a few short tries, MoonDancer was licking her new baby and the colt was feeding.
Beth blinked back tears. "This looks like it's going to work just fine." Cole touched her shoulder and she hugged him. "I'm so sorry. I know Doc could have..."
He tipped her chin up. "Stop it. You know what Doc would say. It's nature and you can't always win against nature. Even you said she was too old to carry twins. It was too much on her, that's all."
Beth nodded, but inside she still felt as though she failed. Doc would have saved them both. Doc would have known some special procedure.
Cole kissed the top of her head and squeezed her hand one more time. "I'll have one of the hands bring your truck back."
She nodded, hugging herself around the middle as she watched him leave, feeling worse that he tried to make her feel better when he was the one who had just suffered the loss.
Beth checked on the baby one more time, before heading through the clinic to take a shower.
The moon was high in the sky and everyone else on the ranch was long fast asleep. Tyler carried two beers out to the barn. He'd seen the light on when he pulled in, but he needed to get a shower first. He knew her well enough to know she wasn't going to go to bed tonight.
Sure enough, Beth stood watching MoonDancer and the two foals together in the larger stall. He touched her shoulder with the cold beer and she jumped. The gaze she lifted to his was full of agony and pain.
With a curse, he set the beers down and pulled her into his arms. She shuddered against him and sobbed, her body shaking as he rubbed her back and held her tight. She cried hard, her tears soaking his T-shirt and breaking his heart. It was too obvious what she'd been thinking. She was doubting herself, doubting her abilities as a vet, and doubting if she was tough enough for this job. What she didn't realize was that those emotions were what made her such a good vet. As far as he was concerned, a vet who didn't feel like this when he lost a patient didn't deserve to be in practice. Tonight being a double whammy, though, didn't help.
"Shhh." He stroked her short hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. His hand caressed her damp cheek. When she began to pull out of his arms, he reached to the paper towel holder on the wall and ripped off a sheet.
She took it from him and tried to step back, but he looped his arms around her waist and held her there.
He tried to think of the right thing to say, but words escaped him. She tipped her head up. Without even thinking twice, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.
He meant it to be a light, comforting kiss but Beth's arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him hard to her. She opened her mouth under his.
The kiss grew hotter and Tyler's conscience warred with his heart. She needed a distraction, he understood that. She was trying to blot out what had happened earlier and was using him to help her forget. Okay, he could handle that. He was more than willing, but he couldn't fool himself into thinking it was because she actually wanted him. He twisted until his back was propped against the barn wall then pulled her between his legs and pressed her against him, her soft body cradled into his rock hard erection. Still, that didn't stop her as she tipped her head and kissed him feverishly.
He tasted her sweetness, and vaguely wondered if he tasted like the beers he'd consumed with Cole before he came home.
Beth's fingers tangled in his too long hair and her hips gyrated into him. He slid his hands under her sweatshirt and caressed the soft, supple skin of her bare back. His fingers glided over body, wanting to caress every inch, needing to hold her. When he cupped her rounded bottom in both hands and pressed her into him hard, she whimpered.
It drove him insane when she pulled his tongue into her mouth and began to suck in and out. He reached under her shirt and cupped her small but perfect breasts. Lifting them, he brushed his thumb across the velvety peaks. Beth trembled and tore her mouth from his. Her breath came in fast rushes as she stared at him through hungry eyes.
Pushing up her sweatshirt he lowered his mouth to one pert pink nipple. She arched her back and dug her hands into his hair as he feasted on one and then the other.
His mind raced back to a time when they would sneak away and hide out in one of the older barns and make love. She was always ready for him, always wanted him as much as he wanted her. He'd missed her so much and wanted her with a hunger that was quickly becoming out of control.
Still, the rational part of his brain knew this had to stop, soon. She wasn't in the right frame of mind and he wasn't about to give her one more reason to hate him.
As her nipple slipped from his mouth, he lifted his head to look down into her half closed eyes. Tyler fought for her control as her hand settled against his fly and molded against the hardened shape. He needed to walk away from her now, before it went any further. He pressed his head back against the wall of the stall and closed his eyes. "Beth," he pleaded.
She flipped open the snap on his jeans and eased down his zipper. He drew a harsh breath, his mind screaming at him to stop now, but it was already too late. Right or wrong, the minute her soft fingers freed him from his pants, he knew he wasn't stopping. She looked down and him held in her hand. Slowly, she made circles over the tip in a move that made him half crazy. Her hand clutched around and stroked. He reached for her breast once more and caressed the firm mound as he attempted to breathe normal, but his chest heaved and he swallowed, hard.
"We have to stop." His fingers pulled on her nipple even as he spoke the words out loud.
"No."
Was she saying 'no they weren't going to stop' or no as in 'No'? He really wasn't sure. With a muttered curse, he reached between them and removed her hand from his swollen shaft.
Her gaze pleaded with him. She didn't want him to stop, did she? How the hell was he supposed to know what she was thinking? He didn't know her anymore, not really. Did she really want him or was it because he was convenient? Would Cole have done just as well?
He lifted his hands and framed her face, tucking her short hair behind her ear. "What do you want, Beth? Tell me what you want me to do."
She stepped out of his arms. He forced himself not to reach for her and, instead, tucked himself carefully back into his jeans. Beth, on the other hand, lifted the hem of her sweatshirt and yanked it over her head. He stared at her bared breasts and glanced towards the open door at the end of the barn, hoping to hell no one was coming this way tonight.
"I want you to take me out of my mind and make me feel something other than this awful emptiness, this horrible ache. Please." Her voice was a quivery whisper.
She walked back over and tugged at the bottom of his T-shirt.
Tyler whipped off his shirt. Beth pressed her bare breasts against him and sighed. His eyes closed of their own accord as he skimmed her bare back with his hands. Her upper body twisted and rubbed against his skin. Her mouth caressed his collarbone and then slid down to lick his nipples. He squeezed her jean clad rear end, grinding her into him. Her fingers pressed down his body to his bared stomach.
Tyler threaded his own fingers in her hair as she followed the path of her hands and kissed her way around his rib cage, teasing the edge of his waistband with her mouth. She nipped his skin and he hissed.
Before she could drop to her knees, he stopped her. "Not here," he rasped.
He grabbed her hand and pulled with him to the very far end of the barn. Inside the small office, he shut the door, glanced around and shoved a chair in front of it. The lights were off but enough glow came from under the door for him to see.
The room held a desk and small cot, a clean blanket folded at the foot. Tyler didn't dare move. There was still a chance she was going to change her mind, and he wanted to be ready for that. Instead, she kicked off her sneakers and unzipped the fly of her jeans. When they shimmied to the floor, he sighed at the sight of her clad only in a pair of white panties. Maybe she wasn't stopping after all.
He didn't take his eyes off her as he dispensed with his boots and jeans. When he was naked, he caught her staring at the scars on his left side. Preparing himself, he waited for the questions, but they never came. Instead, Beth sat down on the edge of the narrow bed, reached out and took him in her hand, molding him in her palm, and cradling the sacs beneath his erection. Tyler bent over and kissed her greedily as she caressed him. When she leaned back, he followed her down.
Her slim thighs opened to make room for him and he covered her, kissing her mouth, her jaw line, her chest. He lifted her breasts to his mouth and lathed them with his tongue, suckling and making her writhe beneath him. He welcomed each velvet bud back home to his mouth and paid homage to each of them before sliding his palm down her belly to the juncture between her legs to cup her.
Beth came off the cot and bucked up against him. She cried out, and he'd only barely touched her. This time, he shoved his hand down the scrap of panties and caressed her intimately. Beth whimpered and grabbed at his shoulders, her legs falling open wider in invitation to give her more.
Tyler tried to slow down, wanted to take his time, but Beth was half crazed. She reached down and removed the white covering and then pulled him towards her. Her mouth was hot and hungry, and her teeth gnashed against his own. He almost laughed, but her fervor was causing his own passion to skyrocket. If he didn't take her soon, it would be too late.
Tyler positioned himself at her entrance. He looked into her eyes once more, even now not sure if this was what she wanted. Her gaze was focused and intent, and she seemed as if she wanted this as much as he did. Appeased, he slipped inside her, exuding a hoarse cry as the pleasure overwhelmed him. Her softness squeezed him and he pressed higher, wanting nothing more than to stay there forever.
He froze. Reality broke in just in time. They couldn't do this. Not now---he wasn't using anything.
He pulled out and leaned away.
Beth grabbed for him and frowned. "What's wrong?"
He reached between them again and stroked her moist folds. "It's okay. I just don't have any protection with me so we can't do that."
Beth pulled his hand from her and grasped his hips. "I'm on the pill."
He gaped down. "You are?"
She nodded. "Yes, so don't stop."
That opened up a thousand questions and probably not one he wanted the answer for. Her soft thighs parted and she tugged him back. Unable to deny her, he closed his eyes and slid back inside. Beth lifted her hips and wiggled beneath him. Her legs wrapped around his waist, drawing him in even deeper.
She leaned up and kissed him, her mouth urgent and hot as she bucked beneath him. Her wild movements and the urgent thrusting of her hips left him in no doubt that she wanted fast and hard tonight, not slow and tender. He pumped into her with everything he had, doing the best he could to brace his weight off her, but he pressed her back into the cot with every stroke.
Her head thrashed wildly on the tiny pillow and she screamed his name, her body quivering in climax beneath him. Ty let himself go and colors exploded behind his eyes. His own release was overwhelming and he shuddered, groaning her name on a long moan.
Her inner muscles pulsated around him, milking him and making his body twitch with after shocks. He kissed her lips, as her hands dug into his back and held him tighter.
Beth's legs dropped like rubber from Ty's waist. His lips caressed her neck, his breath hot on her skin. His heart beat so fast against her own, she was afraid they'd both have a heart attack.
Holy crap, that was something. She smiled at how insanely hot for each other they'd been.
Tyler's mouth made a slow trek back to her breast and she stretched under him. He latched onto her nipple and she arched her back, loving the feel of his weight on her, his mouth sucking her breast while he was still inside her. Although he wasn't rock hard anymore, he was hard enough that she could feel him. He worked at her breast and her insides began to once again curl up. After the explosive climax she'd just had, she was shocked to discover she wanted another one, already. Tyler must have read her mind for his hand slid downward and, even as he shifted to lie at her side, his fingers played with her, stroking and teasing until she cried out again, the waves of pleasure carrying her away.
She caressed his powerful back and reveled in the warm afterglow. Tyler kissed her lips in a touch so soft and tender she almost cried. Beth kissed him back, holding his head with her hands. His longer hair was different, but not in a bad way, as her fingers sifted through its length.
Beth kept her eyes closed. There was a time when she never thought she'd feel like this again. Was it wrong? Was she wrong to have made love with Tyler after everything that had happened? She pushed the thought away. She and Tyler had always been good together. Their bodies knew one another way too well, knew exactly what felt good and where it felt good.
He kissed the tip of her nose. "I hope I didn't hurt you."
She shook her head. "Remember the---"
"Fire ants." He grinned.
She laughed. "That was bad."
"Yeah, for me." He winced.
She pressed a kiss to his chest, unable to stop from lathing his brown nipple with her tongue. Her hand slid lower across the rock hard abs of his stomach. "I made it up to you later."
"Hmm, made it all worth it."
Tyler shifted their positions, pulling her on top of him. Beth straddled his thighs and sat up. Her insides turned to mush when he stared at her breasts. His lips lifted in a half smile as he touched her nipple and watched her reaction.
"I lost a lot of weight. They got smaller," she whispered. She'd lost her appetite, and then her strength and her willingness to take care of herself. His leaving caused her illness, but she couldn't keep blaming Tyler for her weakness.
"They look perfect to me; they feel perfect." Effortlessly, he dragged her body upward until her nipple was against his lips. "Taste perfect, too."
His large hand covered her bare backside and squeezed the cheeks. Beth was trapped, but she had no desire to move. Tyler had always been an expert at making her body come alive, and it was more than obvious he'd forgotten nothing. Though she knew this was wrong, knew she should stop, she didn't want to. Pleasure washed everything else away and she didn't have any willpower to fight against the tide of passion that he wrapped around her.
When he'd feasted enough, he settled her back upright and Beth lifted her hips to settle over his erection.
"Hmm, Beth," he muttered as she eased herself down and then back up again.
His large hands spanned her waist, his fingers almost touching each other. "You're beautiful," he whispered hoarsely, staring into her eyes.
As the tension mounted, Beth increased her pace. Tyler's hands gripped her hips and he bucked fiercely under her. His rough movements immediately sent her skyrocketing through the heavens and, before she could catch her breath, his hoarse cries echoed her own as he came inside her. She squeezed down, wanting to draw out his pleasure as much as she could.
When Beth woke up, the blanket was tucked around her ... and Tyler was gone.
She waited for the waves of regret to hit her, but they never came. Instead, she stretched out, wincing at how cramped and uncomfortable the narrow bed was now that she wasn't distracted. Taking the blanket with her, she sat up and found her panties neatly laid on the edge of the cot along with her sweatshirt and jeans. She quickly dressed and glanced at her phone to check the time. Shortly after five. They'd been there all night. Muscles protested as she stood up. Raking her fingers through her hair, she stumbled out into the barn, eager to see how the foal was doing.
Beth's heart paused at the sight of Tyler leaning over the stall. It skipped back into overdrive when he turned to look at her. What would his reaction to last night be now? Would he understand that last night she'd been weak and needy, or would he think it meant all was forgiven? Did she even know which one it was?
"Hey," she said, looking inside the paddock instead of at him.
"The foal is fine. MoonDance isn't going to have any problems with the two of them."
Beth frowned up at the cool tone in his voice. What was wrong? When he turned to walk away, she snapped, "What's your problem?"
He turned back. "I don't have a problem. You called me, and I helped you out." He jerked his head to the stall. "All's well that ends well."
"That's it?"
He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, why? Was there something else you needed? I thought I took pretty good care of everything last night."
His look was pointed, his meaning very clear. What an ass. Regret washed over her. I'm an idiot. She spun around and faced the foal. "Nope, you did more than enough."
Beth didn't look at him; she couldn't. Last night, now wrong; she felt cheap and easy, needy and weak. He left her without a word for over two years, and he hadn't even been home two weeks before she'd slept with him again. What was wrong with her? Tears stung her eyes and she brushed impatiently at them as she listened to him walk away.
Tyler stood in the shower, trying not to think about the hurt on her face. Right or wrong, the fact that she was on the pill meant she was sleeping with Cole or someone else.
That particular implication hadn't sunk in last night, but first light made it shine front and center and it was tearing him up inside. Beth had always been a passionate woman; he should know, he'd encouraged it! She'd been true to him while she was away at college; he had no doubts there. But he'd left. He had no right to think she wouldn't have had a physical relationship with someone else. She had every right to sleep with whoever she wanted to. And he hated that thought with a burning anger.
The cool water sprayed his face, clearing his head. He'd behaved badly this morning, taking that anger out on her.
Cole was right. He was like a kid with a toy, setting her aside but not wanting anyone to touch her. How much more of an ass could he be?
He wrenched the water off. Now he had even more to make up to her. Why the hell did he keep digging his own grave deeper?
Beth plopped the cookie dough in the center of the floured board and picked up the rolling pin. Baking cookies was one of the holiday traditions she usually loved. It was one of her few memories of both her and Tyler's mother. The two women, along with Flo, would bake up a storm this time of year and set up little stools for the girls to stand on to help.
"I can't believe there's only two more days until Christmas Eve." Susan brushed the hair out of her eyes with her forearm.
"It comes faster every year," Sara agreed, stretching her back and shoving the filled cookie tray towards Flo.
The housekeeper opened the oven and smiled at the lightly browned Christmas cookies. "Ahh, perfect."
"As are all you ladies," Cord said smoothly, stepping into the kitchen with his brothers close behind him.
An electric sense zipped up her spine and Beth jerked her head up, her gaze colliding with Tyler's. She jerked it away and quickly went back to flattening the dough.
"Where are you guys off to?" Sara asked.
Buck moved to her side and pressed a kiss to his wife's cheek. "Out to shop. Christmas is only two days away, you know," he added with a teasing grin to Susan.
"Yeah, no point in rushing." Susan rolled her eyes and passed another filled cookie sheet to Flo.
Beth kept rolling as Cord plucked the ever present grocery list off the refrigerator. "Need anything other than this, Flo?"
The housekeeper took it from him with floury fingers and held it out. "I don't have my glasses on, but I think everything's on there. Don't forget that orange marmalade. My sister's ham is never right because she doesn't use marmalade, and I'm taking some with me to her place this year."
Cord grinned. "You do make the best ham."
Flo nodded. "I do, and my sister needs to figure that out. Is the old man going with you?"
"Sam? Yep, he's out getting his mad money as he calls it."
Flo leaned close. "Don't be letting him buy me anything foolish. You know I'm a simple woman. I don't need no baubles and geegaws. A new apron or pin to wear to church would be just fine."
"Yes, Flo. No geegaws, I'll make sure," Cord assured her. "You ladies have a great day, and we'll see you for cocktails before dinner."
Beth glanced over to see Buck kiss Sara as if he was going to be gone a month instead of an afternoon. Her heart squeezed at the look of adoration her older sister tossed her husband's way.
A sudden movement in front of her drew her attention just in time to catch Teddy swiping a wad of cookie dough out of her bowl. "Hey," she complained.
"I need to do some quality control. I couldn't let you girls roll out inferior dough, could I? He winked and shoved the sugary mixture into his mouth. "I'm only thinking of your reputation."
"That's the first woman he's ever said that to," Susan muttered.
Beth couldn't help it; she laughed. Teddy glared at her and didn't say anything in response. Tyler paused but then walked past. Unconsciously, she held her breath until he left.
"What's wrong?" Sara pinned her with a glance as the door closed behind the men.
Beth couldn't stop the burning heat that flooded her face. "Nothing," she murmured.
"Something happened."
Of course, her sister wouldn't let it drop. "I don't want to talk about it." She handed Flo the filled tray and moved her now empty bowl to the sink to fill with hot soapy water. A hand came to rest on her back.
"Don't worry, baby girl, it'll all work out. Have faith." Flo's voice usually managed to comfort her, but somehow today, it only made her feel worse. If the older women knew what she'd been up to in the barn the night before, she wouldn't be too proud.
"Are you washing the chrome off that bowl?" Susan reached past and turned off the water.
"It had frosting dried on," Beth insisted.
"Yeah, must be last year's since we haven't done any frosting yet."
"I meant dough, not frosting." Beth grabbed the dishtowel and dried her hands. "What's next?" she said a little too loudly in effort to change the subject.
"We have to get the fruitcakes out of the basement, and then we'll get these frosted and packaged." The old wooden table was a mass of pans and flour and cookies in various stages. At the far end sat box after box of cookies waiting to be frosted and then delivered.
Beth frowned and glanced at the clock. "I can't believe it's two o'clock already."
Sara awkwardly pushed out her chair. "I know, my back is killing me."
Beth smiled at the her older sister. "Next year, this will be even harder with that baby outside your belly instead of in."
Sara smoothed her hand on her stomach. "I can't even imagine, but I'll be glad when this part is behind me."
The sudden memory of Cole's mare and the losses made Beth's stomach heave. She stared in terror at her sister's belly. Oh God, please. She never gave too much thought to the dangers of birth since it was such a natural occurrence, but the incident was so fresh in her mind that she blanched.
"I'm going to bow out of frosting detail if you guys don't mind," Sara was saying. "I'm going to head home and lie down before dinner."
"Don't go all the way back home. Lie down here, and then you don't have to come back up for dinner," Susan suggested.
"Nah, I want to take a shower and change before then." She turned to Beth. "I need to hit the bathroom first, but then would you run me home? Buck took the truck to town."
She nodded as Sara left the room and then turned to Flo. "Is she okay? I've never seen Sara have to rest before."
"She's having a baby," Flo stated matter-of-factly.
"She's not due until mid February. Maybe we should call Buck or the doctor."
The housekeeper chuckled. "Your sister is as healthy and hardy as anyone I've ever met. There's a lot of aches and pains in the last three months. That's all it is. When she's in labor, don't you worry, I'll be the first one on the horn getting the doc out here."
Beth wasn't convinced. "Maybe she should be checked out to be certain. There's no point taking chances---"
Flo's hands settled on her shoulders. "I know last night was rough, but nothing is going to happen to your sister and that baby. Do you understand? I helped your mama and Buck's mama through eight pregnancies, even delivered two of them myself. Do you think I'd let anything happen to my first grandbaby?"
Beth nodded. "And Sara's not delivering here though, right? She's still planning to be at the hospital way before time?" Knowing Sara, she wouldn't put it past her sister to try to have a home birth and think she could get up and go riding two hours later. She knew it was driving her sister crazy not to be on horseback right now.
Flo grinned. "Yep, Buck won't stand for her taking any chances; don't worry about that."
Sara came back and Beth grabbed her keys off the hook on the wall and waved to the others. "I'll be right back."
"You better be." Susan waved a frosting knife in her direction. "We're not decorating all these alone."
Beth rolled her eyes and pushed open the back door. "Yes, ma'am."
She waited for Sara to make her way down the back porch stairs and then led the way to her truck. She could feel Sara's eyes on her as she drove and turned to glance over. "What?"
"If he's done something, or said something, I'll set him straight, I'll---"
Beth reached across the seat and clasped her sister's hand. "Tyler didn't do anything; well not intentionally, anyway." She focused on the road once more. "He helped me out at Cole's place last night."
"I'd heard that. I was actually surprised you called him, and not Buck or Cord."
Beth paid close attention to the ruts in the road, not wanting to jar the truck any more than she had to. "Tyler knows animals, especially horses. I was desperately hoping he'd have some magic up his sleeve."
"You called him because you still trust him. You called him because, no matter what he did to you, you trust him with your patients."
Beth nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Ty should have been the one going to vet school, not me."
"That's asinine and you know it." Sara slapped her arm. "You're a good vet. You had a bad situation on your hands last night, but it was only one birth out of how many others that have been successful? You've been around birth and death your entire life. You know better than to blame yourself for something out your hands."
Beth fought the tears as the vision of the stillborn foal flashed in her mind again. "This was the first time it was all on me though. Doc wasn't there to shoulder the responsibility. Grant wasn't there. I was the one who was responsible for that birth."
Her sister's hand squeezed her arm this time. "I know it feels that way, and I know you're hurting, but what would Sam tell you?"
Beth twisted her fingers around the steering wheel. "I know, and I've been trying to think that way, but it's hard."
Sara's house came into view and Beth pulled through the small gate leading to the long driveway. Buck and Sara's house was a miniature version of the main house; a house built to house a growing family.
As Beth parked the truck, Sara stopped her from getting out. "Did anything happen afterward? With you and Ty, I mean?"
Beth ducked her head and kept her focus straight ahead out the windshield to where horses frolicked in the corralled yard. She loved the way they'd built the house with an enormous glass window overlooking the front pastures. Sara wasn't the flower garden type, but they'd hired landscapers to give the property the appearance of a long established yard and home. Wild flowers grew haphazardly, and paddle cactus were everywhere. It was truly a home that looked inviting when you pulled up to it.
"No," she finally answered.
"I don't believe you. And I think you're blaming yourself for that, too. That's a lot to hold on those skinny little shoulders."
Beth glared at her older sister. "He left me, broke my heart, and almost destroyed me. He hasn't even been home two weeks and I let him---" She turned back to stare out the safety of the windshield as the tears filled her eyes.
"Well, okay, so it happened. You were vulnerable, and it's just one more way he was a snake. It doesn't mean it has to happen again."
Beth shook her head but didn't look back at her sister. "It wasn't like that. It was more like we both sort of forgot that we weren't lovers anymore. The physical side took over, and we just went along for the ride."
Sara sighed. "Believe it or not, I know what you mean. When Buck and I first got together in Houston, we didn't even use protection. We never even thought about it because things happened so fast and were so unexpected."
"So you've told me. You even thought you were pregnant."
Sara shrugged. "It didn't matter one way or the other because we worked things out, but I was glad when it turned out I wasn't. We needed the year and a half to get the house built and settle down to being married without a baby in the mix." She rested her hand on her large belly. "Now, though, now it's time."
She glanced to her sister's extended middle. "Well, fate was on my side there. The doctor put me on the pill about a year ago to help regulate my periods."
Sara nodded and pushed open the door to the truck. "Look, kiddo. Whether Tyler stays or goes, whatever happens, I know you're going to handle it. You're not the same person he left behind. You're stronger. Last night was a temporary setback. A walk down memory lane or whatever you want to call it, so stop beating yourself up over it."
She slammed the door and walked over to the driver's side. Beth rolled down her window.
Sara went on, "Tyler's changed, too. Buck and I have talked about it a lot. Maybe the two years away helped him grow up a bit. I really think he needed to do that. I'm not saying what he did was right, or that you have to forgive and forget..."
Beth looked her in the eye. "I don't want him back."
Sara shook her head. "That's not what I'm saying. There was never a real break for you. You've spent two years needing to say goodbye to what you had. Maybe that's what last night was all about."
Beth watched until Sara was in the house, then stared down at her hands. Maybe Sara was right. What did they call it on the talk shows, closure? Maybe that was closure for her, and now she could move forward with her life.
Memories of last night on the cot rolled through her mind. Tyler had changed. His body had certainly hardened and grown even more muscular. The boy she'd left behind when she went away to Cornell was certainly long gone. Even watching him with the horse, she'd noticed how different he was.
Sorrow washed over her for the boy who once loved her with all his heart. That boy had been her playmate when she was a little girl, loving her even as a child. It had been the most wonderful thing in the world to grow up knowing he was the one she'd spend her whole life with.
When he'd lost his parents in the same plane crash that took her mother's life, it had been one more bond between them. They'd had each other. She lifted her head. Last night was a reminder of how it used to be, but it wasn't the way things were now. Maybe Tyler was realizing they'd both changed,too. Maybe he knew the same thing she did, that last night was the end.
Their childhood romance really was over and now they could both move on.
Her throat clogged with tears and her heart sank. It should be what she wanted, especially after what he'd done, but deep inside her heart, she was afraid that what she felt for Tyler Weston hadn't diminished just because he'd broken her heart.
"Let's eat, I'm starving."
Buck tossed his bags into the back of the truck, pulled the cover over them, and latched it.
Cord pointed to a tiny boutique that Tyler had never seen before. "Let's go in here. I still haven't found anything for Susan. Then we can eat."
Tyler followed his brothers inside the store but was done shopping. He wandered around with his hands in pockets, looking without interest at the items on display. All he could think about was Beth. Beth naked. Beth wanting him. Beth screaming out his name. Beth touching him. Beth teasing him. Beth. Beth. Beth. What the hell was he going to do?
He watched Teddy lean casually against the front counter and flirt with the sales girl. The woman blushed as he lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. If any other guy did that he'd look ten times the fool, but when his brother did it, women swooned.
Tyler snorted. What was life like being Teddy Weston? His brother had loved more women in his twenty-six years than Tyler even knew by name. He shoved his hands deeper in his pockets. He'd only been with one, and he couldn't get her out of his mind.
Needless to say, by the time they'd left the boutique, Teddy had a phone number and a promise. Tyler slapped him on the shoulder as they entered the diner. "I will never understand how you manage to do that every time."
Teddy grinned and folded the paper into his jeans pockets. "Do what?"
"Get a date that easy."
His brother wiggled his eyebrow. "Charm like this is not something you can learn, you have to be born with it."
"It ain't charm---it's horse manure," Sam grumbled as he slid into a large booth.
Teddy slid in next to him. "What did you get Flo this year?"
"None of your dang business."
"Must be something personal, or dirty then," Buck teased.
Tyler grinned when Sam's face turned red.
The older foreman grabbed up his menu. "Watch your tongue, boy."
"You better tell us, or we're going to go back and let the girls know you bought something red and slinky in a tiny little bag," Buck continued, unphased.
Sam shook his head. "When you get to be my age, the only thing red and slinky you want to see is red licorice."
"So, it's edible is it?" Teddy teased. "I never knew you were into that Sam, my man."
Their favorite foreman furrowed his brow. "Hells, bells! You boys act like you invented sex or something."
Tyler glanced up as the waitress set glasses of water on the table. He glanced at the nametag. "Angela," he said, eyeing the tag on her crisp powder blue uniform. She looked vaguely familiar. He probably went to school with her, but he couldn't remember.
"Hi, Angela," Cord greeted. "How are you? How's the family."
"Fine, thanks." She smiled at each of them. "I see you guys are out for your annual shopping trip."
"You know it. We're just about finished but needed some nourishment." Buck winked.
Teddy grabbed Angela's hand and lifted it up. "That's some rock, Angie baby. Tell me you're not breaking my heart and marrying someone else."
The waitress's face went a pretty shade of pink and she tugged her hand free. "There are some men who aren't afraid of making a commitment," she said pointedly, though a smile danced along her lips.
Tyler laughed along with his brothers at Angela's dig. "She's got you there, Ted."
The middle Weston grinned and leaned back in the booth. "I can't get married. Just think how many hearts would be broken."
Tyler choked on his glass of water and groans from the others filled his ears.
"You just let me know if he doesn't treat you right, and I'll have a little discussion with him." Teddy leaned back and rested his arms along the U-shaped booth.
Sam turned and knocked Teddy's arms off the back. "Damn fool," he groused.
Angela giggled. "What can I get ya'll?"
"How's the chicken pot pie today?" Tyler asked.
She smiled. "Best in town."
Cord nodded. "That sounds great, I'll take it."
"Yeah, me too," Tyler agreed and put his menu back in the small rack.
The brunette took the rest of the orders and headed back to the kitchen.
Cord drummed his fingers on the table. "Let's figure out what we have to do and divvy it up for the afternoon."
"I'm surprised you don't have your laptop here with a spreadsheet listing out each gift, where it is,and the approximate price," Buck teased.
"Stupid to carry a laptop shopping," Cord scoffed. "I printed it out."
Tyler smirked when his staid brother actually unfurled a large spreadsheet.
"Where's your lists?" Cord asked, glancing from one to the other.
Teddy tapped his head. "Right here. I know everything I'm buying and where it is."
"Lucky you, I have no clue for Sara this year," Buck grumbled.
Cord studied his list. "She's a tough one to buy for. No perfume, no fancy geegaws for that girl, either."
"Tell me about it." Buck leaned back in thought. "I was thinking maybe a weekend out of town. You know, a fancy hotel, relaxing and all that? How's that sound?"
Cord grinned. "Last time you two went to a fancy hotel, you almost killed each other."
Buck smiled a mile wide. "It was all worth it in the end."
Tyler laughed with the others, knowing the story of what a struggle it had been for his brother to convince the strong-willed Sara Sampson she could be a wife, mother, and still be a cowboy.
"I think a trip into Houston, somewhere not far from the hospital, isn't a bad idea. She'd probably like that," Cord agreed.
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Where do you think we should stay?"
Teddy fiddled with the salt and pepper shakers. "I like The General or The Plaza."
"The Plaza has great food," Cord offered.
"You staying until after New Year's?" Buck turned to Tyler with the abrupt question.
Tyler frowned. He had yet to have the discussion with his brothers he wanted. As far as the others knew, he was still heading back to Abilene. He darted a look to Cord, not wanting to get into this here, not until he had some kind of plan to offer. "Not sure of my plans yet."
Teddy leaned forward and Tyler didn't like the amused expression on his brother's face.
"Cole told me about the foal and all so when I got home around two last night, I checked on it."
Tyler narrowed his eyes. "And?"
He glanced around the table and a smile split his face. "Well, someone was in the back office getting it on ... and it wasn't me."
Heat crept up the back of Tyler's neck and he felt like a bug under a microscope. This was what he hated, his entire life being commented on and picked apart, nothing private, everything open for discussion. "Could have been anyone," he murmured and then cooled his discomfort with a long sip of his water.
Teddy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You got a point. Let's see, who else might it have been?" He paused as if pretending to give it grave consideration. "There's Sam, but somehow I think he and Flo wouldn't fit on that narrow little cot."
"Not my style anymore," Sam volunteered. A grin quirked his lips. "Not saying it never happened when I was younger."
Teddy nodded. "Buck?"
The second eldest Weston snorted.
"So that leaves Cord."
Tyler glanced at Cord who was making pencil marks on his spreadsheet, then back at Teddy who rolled his eyes.
"Let's just say that would be very doubtful ... which leaves you."
Tyler frowned. "There's at least 30 ranch hands who could have been in that office."
His brother grinned. "You're right. It must have been one of the hands making Beth scream out your name."
Tyler narrowed his eyes, ready to punch Teddy right in the face. His heart raced, and he forced down a long breath. He knew when he came home everything he did would be under scrutiny, every move he made family news. Another deep breath and he was calm enough to be rational. What difference did it make? Did it really matter if they all knew what was going on? He shrugged without answering one way or the other.
"Leave him alone," Cord warned.
Thankfully, Angela brought their orders, and the conversation turned to other subjects. Several times throughout lunch, Tyler felt someone watching him and glanced up to find Teddy smirking as if he wanted to say something else. There was no doubt in his mind if push came to shove, they'd all be on Beth's side in this. It wouldn't do any good for him to defend himself, to say she needed him last night. That didn't sound right even to his ears. Given the same set of circumstances, even Teddy would have done the right thing and not touched her.
With a gut full of regret, Tyler picked up his fork and pretended to be hungry. What was Beth thinking of him now? What was she doing? Still frosting cookies, or had she gone out with Cole? He pushed the creamy chicken around on his plate but didn't take another bite. He'd gag if he tried. The thought of her with the other man sickened him.
"What's the weather going to be for the holiday, anyone know?"
Sam shrugged. "I heard a cold snap coming, a bad one. Down into the thirties at night, no higher than fifty during the day."
"Had some snow in Abilene last winter," Tyler commented absently.
"How's Boyd doing these days?" Cord asked. "Heard he had a rough time last year with his heart."
"Ended up in the hospital for a time in the spring, but he's doing better now. Charli keeps a close eye on him these days."
"Charli Boyd." The name rolled off Teddy's tongue like a prayer.
Buck snorted. "That girl would chew you up and spit you out."
Teddy grinned. "She can chew on any part of me she wants."
"Watch your tongue, boy." Sam elbowed him hard and Teddy grunted.
Tyler chuckled. The one woman his brother had never been able to catch was Charli Boyd, and it grated on the man to no end. For some reason, the knowledge made him torment Teddy further. "Chase put in a new in-ground pool last summer. Doctor told him he needed to swim some laps for exercise, strengthen his heart, that type of thing." He picked up his glass and took a long drink. "Charli has this little white bikini held together with thin gold chains."
Teddy's jaw dropped open. "That's it. I'm inviting them for Christmas. It's the right thing to do after putting up with you for the last couple years."
Cord put his hand out as if to stop his brother in his tracks. "Bit of short notice, don't you think?"
Teddy shook his head. "Nope, we haven't seen them in a while. Surely, it's time to show some holiday spirit." He gestured to Tyler. "Call her up, I mean them. Call them up."
"You call them if you want to invite them."
Nodding, his annoying brother leaned forward. "I'm going to. As soon as we get back, I'm going to give that girl a call. It's time Charli and I stopped denying ourselves what we both want."
Tyler shook his head. "She's not interested in all that 'Teddy Bear Love' as you call it."
Teddy eyed him steadily. "Watch and learn little brother, watch and learn."
He grinned back. "Oh, I'll watch all right. I can't wait to see her turn you inside out ... and then crush you like a bug."
Beth glanced up from her computer as the door in the reception area opened and closed. Half expecting Tyler to show up and check on the mare and babe, she couldn't stop the stab of disappointment when Cole walked into the room. She forced a smile as he took his hat off. "You come to see the colt?"
He nodded. "Yeah, and to see if you wanted to grab some supper tonight. Stop by the LoneStar, or we could eat there if you want."
Beth nodded. "I don't have anything going that I can think of. Charli and her Dad are coming in some time this evening, but Cord will be here to greet them."
Cole grinned. "Good, then it's a date."
Beth's smile slipped. Did he really think it was a date or was that just an expression? She studied him. Cole knew she wasn't interested in more than friendship. There wasn't any harm in going out with him. If Tyler hadn't come home, she wouldn't have given it a second thought. She was only doubting herself because of what happened with her and Tyler.
She stood and came around the reception desk and led him out. "What have you decided to name the foal?"
"Hadn't thought about it. I'm not too original with horse names. His father is Prince and his mother was Princess." Cole shrugged. "What do you think we should name him?"
Beth glanced up. We? Where had that come from?
She pushed open the door to the barn and walked down the aisle. As they reached the stall where the baby was, memories washed over her of what she and Tyler had been doing right here last night. She ducked her head and shoved the thoughts away. "Well, MoonDancer has adopted him as her own. How about something to go with her name?"
He leaned over the stall door and studied the colt standing in the corner with the other baby. "They get along good together, don't they?"
Beth nodded and joined him, their shoulders brushing as they watched the little family. "The other foal is Sky." She turned her head and grinned at Cole. "We're not too original with names either."
"What if we picked something to do with the holidays, Christmas or something?"
"What about Star? Is that too feminine though?"
"Maybe." Cole shrugged. "We'll figure it out sooner or later." He turned away from the stall and leaned his back against the wall. "Did I tell you Doc's going to make it home by Christmas Eve?"
"That's wonderful," Beth squealed. "I can't wait to see him. He's been gone way too long this time."
Cole nodded. "Yeah, it'll be good to have him home. Although, he says it's only a quick visit and then he's back on the road. I think he's determined to travel as much as possible this year."
They turned to leave, and Beth stumbled when Tyler walked through the door. Her breath caught as his gaze zoomed in to meet hers.
"Hey, Tyler. How's it going?" Cole held out his hand.
Beth ripped her gaze away. She should be glad that the two men seemed to have made some sort of peace with another, but she didn't trust it would last.
Tyler shook Cole's hand. "Good. I came out to check on Lucky."
Beth's eyes widened and she glanced to Cole. "I guess that settles that."
Tyler shrugged. "You don't have to call him that. It was just the first name that popped into my head when we brought him home."
Cole nodded. "It fits. Lucky it is." He leaned down and kissed Beth's cheek. "I'll pick you up at seven."
She shook her head. "Let me meet you there. I'm on call and all."
Cole waved as he walked out. "Okay. See ya."
Beth stood in the doorway to the barn and watched Cole leave. Tyler didn't say anything. Isn't this fun? Such wonderful tension.
"You two seemed to have stopped snipping at each other," she finally said, wrapping her arms around her waist.
"I got nothing against Pritchard."
"But you don't want to see me with him." She turned and challenged him, wondering what his answer would be as she held her breath.
"Would you want to see me with someone else?"
She tamped down an unexpected flare of jealously; not able to picture Tyler with anyone else. He'd never even danced with anyone else that she was aware of. "I guess not."
He shrugged as if that answered the question
"The Boyd's will be here tonight," she ventured as a safer change of subject.
Tyler nodded.
Beth bit her tongue, but couldn't help but ask, "You were at their place most of last year, weren't you?"
Tyler eyes widened and then his brows dipped low, and he stared as if she was crazy. What did I say?
"You knew I was. I told you that's where I'd be."
What is he talking about? "Told me when?"
"In my note."
The note. She'd never opened the note Tyler had left. Not wanting to read his excuses and pale words of apology, she'd shoved it in her desk drawer and never touched it.
Head down, she turned away and quietly admitted, "I never read the note."
Tyler grabbed her arm, swinging her back to face him. His hands squeezed into her shoulders and she winced.
"You never read it?"
She yanked at his rough hold but he held her firm. Anger returning, she pushed at his hand harder. "No. I didn't want to hear your lame excuses and your, 'I'm so sorry but I have to leave.' I honestly thought you'd change your mind and come back. I waited ... and waited."
He released her so fast she lost her footing and had to catch herself before she tripped. What the hell was that about?
Tyler stormed a few paces away.
Her heart thudded in her chest. "What was in the note?"
He continued on towards the barn door, ignoring her.
"Tyler!"
A harsh breath preceded his pause. "It doesn't matter anymore." Then he was gone.
Resisting the urge to go after him and force him to tell her, she spun on her heel and headed out of the back of the barn, not stopping until she was in her bedroom. Her hands shook as she opened the desk drawer and picked up the envelope with her name scrawled across it. Fingering the sealed flap, she sank to the side of her bed. Swallowing hard, she carefully opened the envelope and drew out a single sheet of notebook paper.
Angel,
I thought I could leave without saying anything to you but I can't. I'm going to bum around this summer, but I'll be at Chase Boyd's place in September. I promised him I'd help with some horse training he wants to do. Spend the summer thinking about what you really want. If by September you want to be with me more than you want to be here, then meet me in Abilene.
I'm not going to call you or contact you. I purposely left behind my cell phone and I'm not telling anyone where I'll be this summer. You need to have a clean break to really know what you want.
I know what I want. I want you. I love you so much my guts are heaving as I try to write this, but I have to go. I'm choking here, babe. I'm losing my mind under their control. I can't take it anymore. Who knows, maybe by fall I'll have figured out I don't like the other side of the fence, and I'll come home with you. We won't know until we do this. I couldn't wait for you to get home from graduation, or I'd have never left and you know it. Or you'd have left with me, and I'd never know whether you really wanted to or not.
Meet me at Boyd's Labor Day weekend. If you don't show, I'll have my answer. I love you, Angel, and not a second will go by that you won't be in my thoughts. I promise you that. Don't hate me.
Love,
Ty
She read it again, her heart aching. All this time wasted. What had he thought when she hadn't shown up? There was only one answer. He would have thought she'd made her choice---and it wasn't him. No wonder he stayed away last Christmas. He honestly believed she chose her life here over him.
Tears filled her eyes. "Oh, Ty."
Beth read his words again as the tears slid down her face. She brushed them away and read the note a third time.
Would she have gone? Yeah. She would have. She didn't have to think twice. If she'd known for one second that he was waiting for her in Abilene, she'd have been there when he arrived. But would that have been what she wanted?
She didn't want to be out on the road, traveling or living somewhere else. She wanted to be here. By last fall, Doc had taken off on his first trip and was planning to spend the winter in Mexico. She couldn't have stayed in Abilene. She would have probably convinced Ty to do some long distance romance, or worse, she would have eloped with him and made them both miserable. Still, she would have at least gone to him if only to tell him in person and let him know that she did love him. It would have saved her an entire summer of heartache too. She would have been ticked off that he left the way he did, but she would have dealt with the whole situation differently. Not make herself sick like she did. God, what a mess!
Slowly, she slipped the note back in the envelope and dried her eyes with her sleeve. Tyler said it didn't matter anymore, and he was right. The boy who wrote that note and the girl who didn't read it were both gone now. So much had happened since; they were different people with different lives. Even if Tyler did decide to stay, those two young, naïve people were gone. It was time for both of them to figure out how to handle that.
The LoneStar was hopping. Teddy and the Scoundrels had the whole bar on their feet dancing to the popular country tunes and some Christmas songs as well. Tyler had no interest in being here, except for Beth. She was with Cole, but she was here, and it would be worse if he was sitting home stewing about it. Far better to be here drinking a beer and pretending it didn't twist his insides around to watch her dance with the other man. Besides, before the night was out, he planned on getting at least one slow dance in.
Buck and Sara sat at a small table with Cord, but Tyler sat on the bar stool by himself. The song ended and Teddy announced a band break. Piped in music began to play from the speakers in the ceiling and he glanced at his watch---not even ten yet.
"Hey, Cowboy. Buy me a drink?"
Tyler turned his head to watch Susan climb up on the stool next to him. "Sure." He caught Bill's eye and the owner came over to their end of the polished bar.
Susan tipped her head. "Hmm, how about a Cosmopolitan?"
The bartender rolled his eyes. "No problem, New York girl. Coming right up."
Tyler shook his head. "You're not going to trip him up, you know. Even if he had to go in the back and Google it, he won't let you beat him."
Susan shrugged and popped a pretzel into her mouth. "I like to give him a challenge."
"Most folks just want something to drink."
Susan twisted on her stool and tossed her hair. "Most folks just want to drink."
"It does tend to make the holidays a little easier." His gaze drifted back to Beth on the dance floor.
"How are things going? The grapevine says there was a bit of a reunion the other night in the barn."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Tyler turned back and lifted his beer bottle to his mouth.
"Uh, huh." She winked. "Let me give you just a little tip. I love you like a brother, but you were a complete jackass to leave her like you did."
Tyler's annoyance flared. The last thing he wanted tonight was to be cut down by one of her sisters.
He opened his mouth, but she held up her hand and shook her head. "Don't. I don't even want to hear it. I'm actually on your side in this. I don't mean how you did it, but the fact that you did it. This place will drive you crazy if you let it. The small town gossip, the too-close-for-comfort family business. I can't take it for more than a few weeks a year, so I can definitely understand why you needed to get out. What I don't get is why the hell you want to come back to stay?"
He glanced at the other side of the room where Beth and Cole now sat at a small table. Pritchard's arm was around the back of her chair as they spoke with their heads bent towards each other.
Susan picked a pretzel out of the small bowl in front of her. "I mean, it's obvious that no matter what happened the other night, Beth is never going to trust you again. Take it from someone who lives it: being here with Teddy and the tension between us is pure hell. If it weren't for my sisters and Flo and the whole home for the holiday routine, I'd never come back to Sweet Meadow."
Tyler's mind whirled. Why did everyone think he wanted their sage advice?
Bill brought the curvy brunette's drink to her and another beer for him. He pushed his empty bottle away. "What did happen between you and Teddy?"
Susan sipped her drink but her green eyes flashed anger. She lifted her chin. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Tyler laughed. "Okay, point taken."
A hand landed in a hard slap on his back and he turned to see Teddy standing next to him. "Any word from Charli yet?"
"Yeah, she texted me a while back and said it would be close to midnight before they get in."
Teddy whistled. "Cool, maybe she'll come down for an hour or so."
"I don't think so. Her father will be with her."
His brother picked up the beers Bill set in front of him. "So what? He can go to bed, and she can come party with me." He winked at his brother, started to walk away and then glanced over his shoulder. His brown eyes were cold as he looked at Susan. "You singing any sets tonight or no?"
She crossed her legs and stirred her drink with the small plastic stick. "If you want me to, I will."
"I don't want you to do anything. Other folks like to hear you for some reason."
She nodded. "I'll be there in a minute."
Tyler caught the look of pain that crossed her face as Teddy walked away. Susan might pretend to be tough as nails outside, but whatever had happened between her and his brother still got to her.
She drained her drink and turned on her stool. Pasting on a bright smile, she held out her hand for him to help her down. "You heard your brother; he's just dying for me to sing with him."
Across the room, Beth watched her sister climb the stage and pick up the microphone. "Looks like Susan's going to sing the next set."
Cole twisted his head to look at the stage and then back at Beth. "They always were good together."
The phone on her hip vibrated and Beth pulled it off her belt. "I'm going to go outside so I can hear," she called to Cole as she flipped open the phone and headed towards the back door.
"Doctor Sampson," she answered as she walked out into the deck.
Outside, the air was cooler and she shivered as she listened to the frantic voice of one of her patients. "Mrs. O'Brien, the eggnog won't hurt Phoebe at all, but if you want me to come check her over, I'd be happy to come out there."
One of her patients had gotten into the spiked eggnog. Fortunately, the size of Phoebe was equal to about five cats, and Beth was certain the small amount of liquor the cat might have consumed was no problem. She closed her eyes, hoping Mrs. O'Brien would be satisfied and she wouldn't have to drive out there tonight. Sometimes being an old-fashioned, hands-on vet wasn't always convenient. She nodded as Mrs. O'Brien went on and on about how she'd only left the room for a minute.
"I'll tell you what," Beth interrupted. "You keep an eye on her, and if she acts funny or seems not right in anyway, call me back and I'll come out there."
She heard the back door creak open. Cole must have followed her out to the deck and she turned with a smile. It froze on her lips when her gaze met Tyler's instead. She stuttered, trying to remember what she was saying. "O-okay, that's fine then. Yes, I'll be in the office most of tomorrow. Good night, Mrs. O'Brien."
She snapped her phone closed. "Hey. I, uh, thought you were Cole."
Tyler moved closer. "Disappointed?"
Beth frowned. His eyes were glassy and he swayed as if unsteady on his feet. She ignored his question in lieu of idle conversation. "That was Mrs. O'Brien. Apparently one of her cats decided to get into some holiday cheer."
Tyler's eyebrow rose. "Does she want you to be the designated driver or something?" His words slurred.
"No, but I'm thinking you might need one."
He grimaced. "I'm not a kid. I know better than to drink and drive. I'll catch a ride with someone."
Beth chewed her bottom lip. "I'm heading back that way. I'll give you a ride home."
He shook his head. "Can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Your boyfriend wouldn't like that very much, and I can't blame him. I would never have let you into a truck with some drunk cowboy."
"First of all," Beth snapped, shaking her phone in his direction. "Cole's not you so he doesn't think the way you do. Second, he's not my boyfriend. We don't have that kind of relationship so he wouldn't have anything to say about it."
Tyler snorted and turned away to rest his arms on the deck rail and look out over the darkened lot behind the bar. "Whatever."
Beth slammed her hands on her hips at his snort of disbelief. "Don't do that. Don't make it sound as if I've done something wrong. Cole was here for me."
Tyler made another noise of disgust and she moved closer, shoving him in the arm. The smell of liquor on his breath reached her. "Don't be that way, Ty. Cole is a good guy. He has done everything in the world to make me happy these past two years, trying to make up for what you did."
He glanced down. "Oh, yeah? Was he able to do what I did for you last night? Does he make you scream, Beth? Make you beg for more? If he's been keeping you satisfied, then why wasn't it his arms you wanted around you in the barn?"
He swayed and Beth frowned with disgust. His reminder of last night set her blood on fire. Images of his arms around her, his body covering her and his hands on her played across her mind. She struggled to find something to say to cut him down, but before she could, he'd snagged her into his arms and lowered his head.
She hated the way she responded like a match to gasoline. Her arms snaked around his neck pulling him even closer. Their mouths met in a hunger that last night didn't even hope to satisfy. Tyler kissed her as if he was desperate for her, and she gave him back everything she had. When he grabbed hold of her rear end and pulled her hard against him, she moaned into his mouth. How could everything be so wrong and so right at the same time?
His strong thigh slipped between her legs and she rode it, sending waves of pleasure shooting through her veins. She grabbed his shirt and bunched it in her hands as she clung to him. Tyler put his hands around her waist and lifted her higher only to slid her slowly back down his body. Beth trembled as every inch of him stroked her. It had been so long since she felt as alive as she did when Tyler touched her. She couldn't help herself, and frankly, she didn't want to.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders impatiently. It didn't matter where they were, didn't matter that she'd come out with Cole tonight; all that mattered was Tyler's expert hands making her body want. Want him.
She pressed against his chest but he merely began a slow descent to her neck, shoving the collar of her blouse aside to nuzzle lower. The pink silk top she'd put on was thin and the material scraped her sensitive, taut nipples.
His large hand settled over one aching breast and her eyes closed, her head tipping back of its own accord. Tyler brushed a sensitive peak and then lowered his mouth. He licked between her breasts, his tongue hot on her skin. He shoved at the material, unbuttoned a few buttons, fighting to get his hand inside. Finally, he yanked her shirt out of her jeans and shoved it up out of his way.
Beth couldn't catch her breath, couldn't think straight as he pushed her bra aside and freed her breast to the night air and his touch. His mouth closed over her and she clung to him and cried out.
He lifted his head, replaced his mouth with his hand again and continued to caress her. "Come home with me," he whispered.
Beth lifted heavy lids to him. "You're drunk."
Tyler grinned. "Yep, so you better drive."
Coherent thought seeped in slowly and she ducked her head. "I don't think that's a good idea. I told Cole..."
Tyler narrowed his eyes and tensed. His hand moved lower down her stomach to the snap of her jeans. "Get rid of him."
Was all this because he didn't want her with Cole? Beth frowned and pushed his hand away. This wasn't because of any feelings for her; he just hated to see her with someone else. "No. That wouldn't be fair to him."
His eyes blazed with fury. "Fair to him? You're concerned with being fair to him? What about me?"
After the way she'd just responded, she couldn't blame him for being furious. He had every reason to believe she was going to go home and continue what they'd started. She pulled away and rebuttoned her blouse. "I didn't know about Abilene," she whispered. "I never read your note ... until today."
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We both know what path you would have taken anyway."
If he'd slapped her hard across the face it wouldn't have hurt her more. "How dare you! You're the one who chose the open road over us no matter what was in that note."
His gaze was anguished, and he swayed once more with the effects of the alcohol he'd consumed. "I'll spend the rest of my life on my knees begging you to forgive me. I'll do whatever you want me to do if you'll take me back."
He cupped her cheek with his rough hand and looked at her with such raw hunger and anguish that her heart ached. Her body still throbbed and wanted nothing more than to go home with him. But her head, for once, was thinking perfectly clear.
She stepped way. "It's too late. I can't trust you, Ty. How do I know you won't change your mind again tomorrow and be gone when I wake up? Like when I woke up on that cot, alone ... again."
Tyler raked his hand through his hair. "I know. I didn't know what to think. You said you were on the pill and I didn't know if you'd just slept with me because I was convenient or..."
Could he really think I'd ... that I would ... just because ... She threw her hands up in the air. "That's it. I'm out of here."
As she reached the door of the LoneStar, she turned back to glare. "Stay away from me, Tyler. I mean it. Don't touch me, don't talk to me, just leave me the hell alone!"
Inside the bar she made her way across the dance floor, skirting around lovers wrapped around each other, until she reached the table where her purse still sat along with Cole.
"I've gotta go." She yanked her light jacket off the back of the chair.
Cole stood. "What happened?"
"There's a problem with one of my patients," she offered in excuse. "I tried to resolve it on the phone, but I'd feel better if I saw her for myself."
Cole nodded and grabbed his keys off the table.
The last thing in the world she wanted was for him to come with her. "No!" She put her hand on his arm and calmed her voice. "I mean, you don't have to leave, that's why I have my truck here. Stay, enjoy the music."
Cole shook his head. "I'm walking you out to your truck."
Beth bit back her frustration. She wanted to get the hell out of there before Tyler came back in. Unfortunately, that wasn't her good luck. Cole's glance hovered over her chest a little too long and she looked down to see what was wrong. All the buttons were crooked.
His head spun around as Tyler strutted past their table. Cole's eyes snapped to hers. "On second thought, I think I will stay. Drive careful, Beth." And with that, he sat back down.
She clenched her jaw. Not sure what she could possibly say to fix this, she walked away. Once more, Tyler had made a fool of her. And he did it on purpose. He could have stayed outside, but, oh no, he had to walked through the bar and out the front door. Was he ever going to stop making her life a living hell?
Her truck was way in the back of the lot and she held her keys out as she walked. It wasn't as if there were a lot of problems in Sweet Meadow but one couldn't be too careful---she was almost ready for a good fight as it was. Still, she paused as she spotted two men near her truck. Recognizing them she picked up the pace.
Sheriff Conrad Ralston turned as she reached his side. "Beth, you driving Tyler home?"
Beth let her gaze bounce off Tyler's back to the Sheriff. The last thing she wanted to do was drive the grinning cowboy home. Unfortunately, by the strict look in Conrad's eyes, she didn't have much choice. She sorted through her keys to find the one to unlock her truck. Grudgingly, she agreed. "Fine, I'll take him home."
Conrad nodded. "Okay, just checking. I don't want to see him behind the wheel in this condition."
Beth shook her head. "Nope, he's an idiot, but he's not stupid." She walked around to the driver side, cursing the fates for putting her in this position, and unlocked the door. When she released the electric lock, Tyler pulled open the passenger side door, slurring his good nights to the officer.
"Have a good holiday, Conrad," she called back as she slid behind the wheel and started the engine. As they pulled out of the parking lot she glared at Tyler. "You're an ass."
"I didn't plan this. I was going to catch a ride with Buck, but they'd pulled out by the time I got out here."
"So you just happened to stand near my truck?"
"I was actually going to call Buck and see if he'd come back, but then Conrad pulled up and thought I was going to drive. He was giving me a real hard time."
He leaned his head back against the seat. His legs were too long for her small truck, making him look all scrunched up. His discomfort, at least, brought her a measure of pleasure.
The back roads were dark without much traffic. Next to her, Tyler hadn't moved and she wondered if he'd fallen asleep. She glanced over and, even though she was still mad at him, she couldn't help but soften a bit. Last Christmas, if anyone had told her she'd be driving him back to the ranch a year later, she'd have told them they were nuts. She also would have been on Cloud Nine to have him by her side again. The girl from last year would have simply been glad he was home and that the nightmare was behind her.
Beth tore her gaze away. She was glad he was back, but she wasn't about to let him hurt her again. Tyler was a wanderer, and no matter what he said, he wasn't going to stay put. He might stay for a few months, but, in time, he would be gone again. She refused to be left in the same condition as she was back then. When he left her, she'd almost lost everything. More importantly, she almost lost herself. She couldn't afford to let that happen again.
She let her breath out and rested her cheek on her hand as they drove under the Double B arches. Cole's look of disappointment twisted her gut. The buttons were a dead giveaway that she'd been out back with Tyler. Did he think she was rushing off to be with him? She needed to have a serious talk with Cole and stop accepting his invitations to go out. It wasn't right anymore. Cole wanted more than friendship and she knew it. He was the nicest guy in the world, and he didn't deserve someone like her---someone who would never feel for him what she should.
The house came into view and she pulled up the horseshoe driveway, parking the truck in front of the Weston porch steps. It was quiet and only the Christmas lights twinkled in the dark. She flipped her head around to the main house, but it looked just as solitary.
Beth sighed and unhooked her seatbelt. "Come on, Ty. We're home." She spoke loud and shoved at his shoulder. He didn't stir.
She climbed out of the truck, walked around to his side, and yanked open the door. "Come on, Ty, get out." She grabbed his hand and he shifted.
"Beth?"
"Yep, it's me. Now, come on out of my truck so I can go to bed."
He grinned. "You want to go to bed?"
She grimaced and tried to pull him out of the truck. He pulled back and she stumbled against him. Tyler's eyes opened fully and he lifted a hand to touch her hair. "I miss your long hair."
She twisted her head away. "Come on, get out of the truck."
"Make me," he whispered with a smile.
"You're not five, Ty, come on," she pleaded, and tugged on his arm again.
This time he moved, turning on the truck seat until he was sitting with his legs hanging out. But instead of getting out, he simply sat there, staring down. "Do you hate me?"
"No, I don't hate you." I just want you out of my danged truck.
He looked downcast and sighed. "I would hate me."
"I don't, so you can get out and go to bed now."
"Come with me." He held his hand out. "I just want to hold you. I promise I won't do anything else. I just want to sleep, holding you in my arms."
Beth's heart ached. "No, that's not a good idea."
He held her gaze. "If you change your mind, my room is upstairs to the right."
"I know where your room is." A smile tugged her lips. "I've been there remember?"
He grinned. "I haven't forgotten anything, not one moment. Have you?"
Beth sighed, not wanting to get into this. In about two minutes, she was leaving him sitting here in the truck all night and going to bed. "Ty, please."
"Yep, you'd say that, and, 'Ty, no more I can't take anymore'. But then you would, and we'd drive each other crazy some more. Let me take you there again. Come on, Angel. Let's forget all these issues and problems and focus on how good it is between us."
"That's not the answer," she said with a small, regretful shake of her head. "It's not enough anymore. Back then, you could always make up with me by doing that, but not now. Things have changed, I've changed."
"Last night..."
Beth put her hand up to stop him. "I'm not talking about last night anymore. It was a lapse in judgment." She let her hand fall. "Good night. Ty."
She turned on her heel, leaving him sitting there and headed to her own front porch. Before she'd gone inside, she heard the door to her truck shut and his heavy steps on his own porch.
She went inside, trying to convince herself that spending the night alone in her bed was the right thing to do.
Tyler's head ached. Not the worst hangover he'd ever had, but bad enough to require aspirin with his coffee. Not only had he'd drank too many beers at the LoneStar, but then the Boyd's had arrived and he'd had a nightcap or two---or three---with them before finally getting to bed sometime around three.
Cord walked in to the kitchen and Tyler eyed him over the rim of his coffee cup. When he'd finally called it a night, Cord had still been up talking to Chase Boyd. Never mind the amazing Charli had been there; Cord's attention was completely focused on the other man's ranch and the new bloodlines he was working with. That was his big brother, all about the business.
"Hey." Cord leaned back against the kitchen counter.
He jerked his head in response and then winced.
"Sounds like you and Boyd did some good work." Cord sipped his coffee.
Tyler couldn't help but put his defenses up. Was he implying that he was surprised they'd done good work, or was he saying he should go back and continue it?
Cord stared and Tyler stared back. From the day their parents died, when Cord was barely old enough to get a driver's license, his older brother had stepped into his father's shoes. Or tried to. Between Cord, Sam and Buck, there was never a lack of father figures all telling him what to do, when to do it, and how to feel about it all. It was the reason he had to go.
Now it was the same reason he needed to stay. Chase Boyd had taught him that. He had his family to thank for raising him right, but he had Boyd to thank for making him man enough to know he needed that family.
"Coffee!"
Tyler winced at Charli's bright whoop as she bounded into the room. She was like an Irish Setter, all red hair and boundless energy. Tall and long legged, she had a model's body that made men promise anything for just a smile from those full lips.
Cord poured her a cup and then handed it over. After adding her required three teaspoons of sugar, the redhead took her first sip. "Hmm, just like I like my men, strong but sweet." She reached up and brushed her lips across Cord's cheek. "You're bed is very comfortable; thanks for letting me in it."
Cord shrugged. "I didn't want you to have to share a bathroom with the rest of these guys."
Tyler grinned. Charli had been trying for years to get under Cord's skin, but the guy was unflappable. She could toss sexual innuendos around all she wanted, but Cord would never rise to the bait. Now, if it were Teddy ... Well, if it was Teddy, Charli wouldn't have been in bed alone last night.
"What are you smiling about?" Charli plopped down in an adjacent chair, her blue eyes dancing with mirth.
He watched her with amusement. She couldn't have had more than three hours sleep, and yet, she was as fresh and energetic as if she'd slept all night. Or at least she appeared that way. He shook his head. "Nothing."
Charli twisted in her seat as Buck walked through the back door. She was out of her chair and in his arms in a flash.
Buck caught her up and swung her around. "Hey, someone told me a redheaded troublemaker had come to town!" He squeezed her tight and set her back on her feet.
Charli walked over to the counter and poured a mug of coffee and handed it to the large cowboy.
Cord frowned. "He has a kitchen of his own."
She waved him off. "Sara needs her rest. Besides, she told me she can't stomach the smell of coffee at all."
Buck took the cup. "Don't listen to them, Red. They like to give me a hard time. Truth is, they're all jealous. I'm the only smart one. Nothing like being married; gotta be honest."
Charli tipped her head. "And who do you have to thank for that? Hmm?"
Tyler watched the two of them banter back and forth. She took full credit for Sara and Buck going beyond friendship. Buck, on the other hand, refused to let her forget it was also her fault that things had gotten off to a rocky start.
"It was all in the plan. I told you that at the wedding." She sidled up to Cord and slipped her arm through his. "A brilliant scheme, wasn't it?"
Cord glanced down at her, a smile tugging his lips. "We were good together, a real team effort."
Charli tipped her head back and Tyler watched in amusement, knowing what was coming.
"We could be a great team, if you'd play my kind of games."
His oldest brother laughed off the comment and moved away from the sexy siren to set his cup in the sink. "I'm going out to see Sam, then ride out." He turned to Tyler. "If you wanna come, meet me in the barn in an hour."
Tyler waited until he walked out the door then grinned at Charli. "You never give up on him, do you?"
She smiled. "I can't help but tease him. I keep thinking that still waters run deep, and there's probably this untapped well of hot passion under all that cool exterior."
Buck crossed the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. "I wouldn't count on it. Cord is more interested in the figures on his computer then that sexy one of yours."
Charli pushed Buck out of the way and Tyler watched with interest as she grabbed eggs and other ingredients from the refrigerator. His stomach rumbled in anticipation. Another thing that girl had going for her: Charli could make cardboard taste good.
Buck sat down at the table and looked like a puppy waiting on a biscuit. "You're going to be surprised someday if Cord suddenly turns to you with a diamond."
Tyler stood up and reached past her to get plates out of the kitchen cupboard. Talk of marriage inevitably focused his thoughts on Beth. Was she up already? Was she over at the clinic? Or was she having coffee at the house with her sister? Susan was a notoriously late sleeper so he'd guess she was already at the clinic. His mind raced for a good reason to stop by there after breakfast.
"If anyone waves a diamond in my face, I'm out of here." Charli dragged the cast iron skillet onto the burner and turned on the heat. "No offense, Buck, but I can't imagine living the rest of my life with one person." She shuddered.
"It depends on the person." Tyler set the plates on the table and headed to the refrigerator for juice.
"Speaking of ... what happened at the LoneStar last night?"
Tyler frowned. "What do you mean?"
Buck picked up the newspaper that Cord had left behind. "I heard from Bill that Teddy had to drive Cole Pritchard home. Seems he was drowning his sorrows." He snapped the paper open and glanced at Tyler over the edge.
"I left with Beth. No idea what his problem was."
"Yeah, and thanks for letting me clean up that mess, little brother," Teddy groused as he walked into the kitchen. His scowl disappeared when he spotted the woman at the stove. He swooped in and wrapped his arms around the leggy redhead from behind, nuzzling her neck. "Christmas has come early."
Charli laughed but pushed at the arms around her waist. Tyler was always surprised that she never seemed to care much for Teddy. As far as he could tell, the two of them were cut from the same mold.
"In your dreams, cowboy. Now let go, your brothers are hungry."
But Teddy kept his arms firmly around her. "I'm hungry, too, but you don't seem to want to do anything to appease me."
His brother suddenly yelped and jumped away. Tyler chuckled. More than likely, Charli pinched him a good one.
"Sit down and behave, or you won't get any breakfast, either." She waved a spatula in his direction and narrowed her eyes.
Teddy wiggled his brows. "Ohhh, beat me, baby, beat me." He grabbed a cup of coffee and straddled a chair.
Tyler hated the way his brother's gaze drank in every inch of their redheaded friend. They'd known the Boyd family all their life. Charli's father and theirs had gone to school together before his current employer had moved to Abilene. For some reason, living with them the past eighteen months had brought out a protective brotherly instinct in him towards Boyd's daughter.
"Anyway, back to Pritchard." Teddy swung his gaze back. "Did he ever tie one on last night."
"Not my problem he can't hold his liquor." Hopefully no one knew how much he'd consumed last night either. Conrad was the only one, besides Beth, who'd seen him before they left.
"Is that right? Where's your truck this morning then?"
He held his brother's gaze steady. "I didn't ride home with Beth because I was drunk," he lied. But he knew that Beth would never have taken him home if he hadn't been inebriated. Although, the way she responded to him out on the deck had given him a lot of hope in the wee hours of the night as he tossed and turned and thought about her alone in her bed.
Charli set a platter of food on the table and neatly sidestepped Teddy's attempt to grab her. "Last time I looked, Beth, Cole and Tyler were all well over twenty-one and should be able to live their lives without everyone commenting and speculating."
Tyler gave her an appreciative nod, but Charli was an only child; she had no idea how large families were with each other. There was no such thing as privacy.
"All I'm saying is, if you and Beth are rolling around in the hay together, she shouldn't be going out with Cole. And if she's going out with Cole, she shouldn't be going home with you." Teddy stabbed a pile of sausage and loaded his plate with the fluffy eggs.
"I'm so glad that I've given you such fascinating breakfast conversation."
Tyler's heart jerked at the sound of Beth's voice. He whipped his head around to find her framed in the kitchen doorway. None of them had heard her come in from the front of the house.
Charli was the first one to move and reached Beth's side with open arms. "They're worse than a bunch of old gossiping women."
Tyler watched the two women hug, but his concentration was entirely on the small petite blonde who had the power to crush him like a bug with one look. He'd had a lot to drink last night, but he remembered begging her to take him back. Worse, he also remembered her turning him down.
Beth stepped away from Charli. "Where's Cord?"
Buck set the paper down and picked up his fork. "He went out to the barn to see Sam. Did you need something?"
She shook her head. "I can't get the internet to work at the clinic and I've used up my limited tech tricks."
Tyler stood. "I'll look at it for you." It was the perfect excuse to spend some time with her. He could drag this out all morning if he was lucky.
She nodded reluctantly, her gaze bouncing off his and landing somewhere in the distance. "Thanks. Clinic's open, go on in and see what you can do. I'm heading into town. Anyone need anything?"
Tyler's heart sank. "You aren't going to be at the clinic?"
She shook her head. "No, I've got some errands to take care of and a few calls to make." Spinning on her heels, she went back the way she came.
Tyler sprang up and followed her. "Does your computer have a password on it?"
Beth pulled open the front door before looking back over her shoulder. She shook her head. "Nope."
"What have you tried so far? Did you reboot?"
She glared. "I said I'd tried all the usual things. I think there's a problem with the connection. Just let Cord fix it. He's done it before."
Tyler didn't know a ton about computers, but if Beth needed something, even as small as this, he was going to try and fix it. She turned around and kept on walking. He followed. "Beth?" She ignored him and kept going. "Will you wait a minute?"
She stopped but didn't immediately turn around to face him. He reached her side and touched her arm. When she looked up, narrowed eyes revealed her annoyance.
He dropped his hand. "I'm sorry, you know, for the conversation. My brothers are idiots, you know that."
"They aren't the problem, you are."
He frowned.
Beth tucked her short hair behind her ear. "Why did you come back? Why now?"
Tyler searched her blue eyes. They were full of anger and hurt, but also of curiosity. Before he could respond, she went on.
"I was just starting to get my life back on track. Things were going good, and I was actually happy for the first time since you walked out on me."
Tyler hated the way she phrased it but couldn't refute her words. She looked away towards her clinic and small cottage. He wished he knew what she was thinking. Then again, maybe it was better he didn't know.
"Now what?" She swung her gaze back. "Okay, so you left me a note and I didn't read it. I'm sorry for that, but you're the one who left. Now, after eighteen months, you decide you've made a mistake? You come back and I'm supposed to welcome you home with open arms? To pick up where we left off?" She shook her head. "I can't do that. I don't want to do that." Her voice broke.
His heart squeezed as shame washed over him. He wanted to pull her into his arms and take away all the pain he'd caused and was still causing. She was right. Deep down, that was exactly what he wanted to happen. He wanted her to simply forgive him and give him another chance.
But he had no right anymore; he'd given that up the moment he left. No right to her and no right to her future. No matter how much it was going to kill him, he had to face the fact that no matter what he wanted, Beth wanted to move on. She didn't want him. Physically, he knew he could change her mind, but she'd only regret their weakness and resent him more.
He took a physical step back. "Okay. I get it. I'll back off, leave you alone."
She held his gaze for a long second and then walked away without another word.
Beth drove off the ranch. She couldn't get away fast enough. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, and her head ached from a sleepless night.
Tyler's face and his pleading look as she walked away haunted her. She drew a long shaky breath and let the cool air blow in the window of her truck. The song that came on the radio was one of Tyler's favorites and it mocked her. She rested her chin on her hand. Whether or not she loved him was never the issue; she would never not love Tyler. The other night, when she'd made love with him, for a time she'd begun to believe that maybe there was a chance. But in the light of day, she knew that while the physical relationship hadn't changed a bit, everything else had. She wasn't the same girl that Tyler left behind. Unfortunately, however, that girl was still inside and warring with the woman she'd become. The woman who knew, regardless of what he said or did, Tyler had left her before and he'd leave again.
It only now occurred to her that he hadn't answered her question. Why come back now? Obviously, a visit home for the holidays was understood, but to stay? What was his motivation? She shook her head. No, once the holidays were past, once the excitement of him coming home had worn off and everyone settled back into their day to day lives, he'd grow bored. He'd come to resent his brothers orders, fight with Sara about the horses when she returned to her job, buck heads with everyone once more, and then in his frustration, he'd disappear, again.
Beth turned the truck into the small community parking lot and climbed out. A truck drove by, then his brake lights came on, and backed up. Beth frowned, wondering who it was.
The SUV wasn't familiar, but the man who stepped out of it and turned to face her sure was. Her heart swelled and she scrambled to get free of her seat belt and out of the truck. "Doc!"
She flung herself at him and, despite his seventy plus years, he caught her up in a tight hold. "Whoa there, little girl." He patted her back and set her back on her feet. "That's quite a homecoming for an old geezer."
Beth assessed him as she stared him up and down. "You look great. This travel stuff sure agrees with you."
Doc stepped back and nodded. "Can't say I'm not enjoying every minute, but it's good to be home for Christmas. What are you doing in town? Work or pleasure?"
She shrugged and glanced around. "I had to run a few errands, but you know it's never not work." She patted the cell phone at her hip.
"You got time for a cup of coffee? Already had breakfast with Cole, but figured I'd wander into town and see what kind of trouble I could get in."
"You bet."
Feeling lighter than she had in days, Beth took his arm and walked across the street to the diner. The small restaurant was bustling for mid-morning, but they soon found a table.
"Angela, how about two of those cinnamon buns your Mama always makes," Doc asked the waitress as she set two cups of coffee on the table.
"You got it, Doc. Extra icing, right?"
"Is there any other way?"
Beth shook her head. "All that sugar isn't good for you."
"Don't be worrying about what's good for me or what isn't, there, little girl. I'm doing just fine."
Beth stirred her coffee. She hadn't seen Doc in person in over six months and there was so much to tell him, and yet nothing came to mind. "I can't believe you stayed away from here for half the year."
The older man set his coffee down and looked directly at her. "You and that partner of yours needed some space. Even after a year of retirement, the minute I got back to town, folks would come to me with their issues. It was time for me to make like horse crap and hit the trail."
She laughed, then her smile softened. "Cole missed you."
"He's another one needs to cut the apron strings. That boy needs to get married and have himself some youngin's."
Beth's cheeks grew hot and she quickly drank more of her coffee.
"Don't worry, little lady, I'm not suggesting anything. If you and Cole were going to work out, it would have happened long before this."
She set her coffee cup down. "What do you mean?"
Doc sat back, his tanned arms, still muscular after years of hard work, stretched along the back of the booth. "You don't love my son, not like a woman needs to."
"No, and I'm sorry." She sighed.
"Nothing to be sorry about. When it's right, it's right. My Emma and I, when we met, fireworks, pure and simple. We couldn't get to the altar fast enough."
Beth grinned. It wasn't hard to imagine Doc and Cole's mother with the hots for each other. Doc had that type of personality, and she could only imagine once he set eyes on the local farm girl, she'd have had no choice but to ride the tidal wave with him. "She was a wonderful woman."
Doc's expression shifted slightly. There was a time when he'd lost himself in drinking when Emma died of cancer. If it hadn't been for Cole, and actually for her too, he might not have come back around. He nodded and Beth reached out and squeezed the hand that rested on the table.
"Enough of the past," he said, patting hers. "You know I want to hear it all. What was your worst case so far and what's been your best?"
Walking back out onto Main Street over an hour later, Beth was surprised that in all their 'shop' talk, her old friend hadn't once mentioned Tyler.
His large, meaty hand came down on her shoulder. "I'm only in town through the New Year, but I'll get over to see the clinic and that new foal before I head back out."
Beth would be sad to see him go again, but the terror she felt the last time he left was gone. She had a confidence she didn't have last year. She and Grant were slowly filling his shoes, and even though they'd never be Doc, folks had finally stopped asking her to call her old mentor to get a second opinion.
"Sounds good." She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Have a good Christmas and give my best to Catherine." Doc and Cole would be spending Christmas Day with his sister up in Austin.
She stepped back, but the look on his face made her frown. "What?"
"Don't make the same mistake I made."
"You? I thought you didn't make mistakes?" she teased.
"I made the biggest one of all when I put that job before my family and before my personal life. Don't do that, Beth."
"Doc..."
He shook his head. "I'm not telling you your business. If you love him and he loves you, you'll work it out. But don't let it be a decision between your job and your heart. That's nonsense. You're a damn good vet. You worked under one of the best." He grinned, but then he wagged his finger in her face. "Remember, you can be a good vet anywhere in this country; it doesn't have to be in Sweet Meadow."
Beth tucked her hair behind her ear. "This is home, Doc. I care about these people, and my family is here."
"That situation I can't help with, but I'll tell you that if I find out what's holding you back from happiness is that practice, I'll..."
"It's not the practice, Doc, not now. I'll admit that last year it would have been hard for me to tell you I didn't want to take over for you, but now it's a part of me, a real important part. I don't want to leave."
"All I'm saying is, I lost the most important person in my life at a way too early age. The time I missed with her, the regrets I have will never go away. I don't want you to do the same thing."
Beth nodded. "I know. I understand."
Someone called his name and he turned to wave, then gave her a hug. "Have a good Christmas and give my best to the family."
Beth watched him walk away. Doc always felt he'd short-shifted his wife and son with the hours he put in as the only vet. Never once had Cole complained to her about the childhood he'd had; the years he and his mother were alone for dinners and sometimes entire days while Doc was working. Cole was just like his mother: very understanding and patient, willing to do whatever it took to make life easier for his father.
She shoved her hands in her light jacket and walked up the street towards the bank. Her life would have been less complicated if she'd only fallen in love with Cole Pritchard.
Tyler never understood, nor was he patient. All the years she'd worked with Doc, even before she went to school, Tyler would fume when she had to change plans with him because of a vet emergency. As patient and calm and easy going as he was around horses, the same man had none of that when it came to her job coming before him. Just another reason why she was better off without him. No matter how much her heart thought otherwise.
Beth pulled up to Sara's house, grabbed the bags from the front seat, and climbed out. She loved the house her sister and brother-in-law built. Although big, because they both wanted a large family, it still held a warm feeling to it. Casual and homey, and anyone who spent any time here immediately felt comfortable. There was no pretentiousness to this house. The front porch wrapped around to the back of the house, and just like at home, everyone seemed to go in through the back door.
She shoved open the back porch door, slipped off her boots and hollered into the bright kitchen. "Hey, where are you?"
From overhead she heard her sister holler down, so she deposited the bags on the counter and headed up the back stairs.
Voices came from the nursery and she walked in to find Sara sitting in the rocking chair with Charli cross legged on the plush carpet next to her. "What are you guys doing?"
Charli shrugged. "Yakking and putting some more things away for the baby."
Sara rocked back and forth, her hands resting on her swollen belly. "Charli and her Dad bought this kid so much stuff we'll need to build a second room just for his new toys."
"His? Is it a boy? You didn't tell me that." Charli stood up and Beth immediately felt like the runt of the litter.
"I know it's a boy. Something inside me just feels it."
"I'm going to laugh when you get a little girl." Their friend walked across the room and stared at a picture on the wall.
The woman made everything she did look sexy, even walking. Had she slept with Tyler? Beth had no clue where that thought came from, but a very vivid image of the long legged redhead rolling around in bed with Tyler made her stomach clench. She'd known Charli her entire life, but they'd never been close, since Charli was mainly Sara's friend. She'd never spent much time with her---how much time had she spent with Tyler?
"Did you get the stuff at the store?" As Sara started to climb out of the rocking chair, Beth watched Charli moved to help her. Sara took hold of the other woman's arm and smiled in gratitude. Beth frowned. Any time she'd tried to help her sister she'd gotten her head bit off.
"Yeah, I can't believe you've gone through all the peanut butter that you bought the other day," Beth muttered.
"I know. I'm eating it on everything. I actually smeared it on a steak the other night."
Beth pulled a face as Sara walked to the door.
"I'm going to make a sandwich."
"Okay."
Charli didn't follow and neither did Beth. She wanted to know; she needed to know.
"Nope."
Beth frowned. "What?"
The redhead pinned her with her blue gaze and crossed her arms over her ample chest. "No, Tyler and I didn't get it on."
Her cheeks burned and she looked away, fussing with the baby's blanket. She folded it and laid it on the edge of the crib. "I wasn't even wondering about that or thinking it."
"Yes, you were. You've been thinking it since he told you he'd spent the past year and a half with us."
Beth lifted her chin. "It doesn't matter; it's none of my business. Tyler is free to do whatever he wants with whomever he wants."
"Yeah." Charli turned back to the small dresser and continued to fold the tiny outfits.
Beth shook her head. Obviously, the other woman was on Tyler's side completely and she wasn't going to stay in here with that hanging heavy between them. "I'm going to help Sara."
"Did he tell you why he didn't come back at Christmas last year?"
Beth paused. She assumed it was because she hadn't come to him in September. "No. I just figured he didn't want to come home."
"He was coming home ... but he had a car accident and ended up in the hospital."
Beth's heart rose to her throat. "What?"
"He wanted to surprise everyone. He left in the middle of a wicked storm on Christmas Eve morning." Charli closed the dresser drawer and opened another one. "The truck went off the road and into a gulley. There was some internal damage and he ended up having to have surgery. He was in the hospital for several weeks and made me promise not to tell anyone. He didn't want anyone leaving the Double B for the holidays because of him." She folded the tiny undershirts and set them in the drawer.
Beth's jaw dropped. Tyler had been hurt and hadn't told anyone? And what about Charli, why hadn't she called? "I can't believe you didn't call his brothers! What kind of friend are you?"
The other woman whirled on her. "Tyler is a grown man, in case you haven't noticed. If he says don't call the family, I'm not calling them. But if the accident had been the slightest bit worse, if the doctors had told me it was life threatening, then of course I would have called."
"You know how close this family is; you knew they would want to know."
"Precisely. They would all have descended on him in the hospital, and what good would that have served? He was in no shape to deal with everyone. He felt guilty enough without ruining everyone's Christmas by having them in Abilene, or worse, Cord having him transferred home."
Was the other woman really that cold? Did she have no clue what it would have meant for them to know he was hurt? "Still, you have no idea. You don't have a family like this. You don't get it."
The redhead shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But I know when I make someone a promise I keep it. I don't say one thing and do something else."
Beth frowned and slammed her hands on her hips. "That's pretty wild considering the man you were protecting broke his promise to me and walked away from his family. He doesn't deserve your loyalty."
A harsh blue gaze slammed into hers. "I think the world of Tyler. I'm amazed at his ability with horses. I'm blown away when he takes a practically wild animal and gently, patiently turns it into a horse that someone could trust their child to ride. But what I don't get is why he obsesses so much over what you want."
Beth narrowed her eyes. Her insides clenched with rage and she fisted her hands against her side. She swallowed hard trying to think of a defense. Charli wasn't going to listen to her side; she'd spent a year and a half being handed a line of crap from Tyler. "This isn't your business," she finally ground out and walked across the room to the doorway.
"Frankly, I've always thought you were a bit of a spoiled brat."
Beth whirled around to face the redheaded witch.
Charli crossed her arms over her chest and tipped her head. "You were doted on by your father, your sisters have always catered to you, and Cord and the others treat you as some type of little princess. You didn't even have to work to build up your own business; it was handed to you on the proverbial silver platter." She raised one well sculpted eyebrow. "Have you ever had to work hard for anything in your life? Or, for that matter, have you ever had to put someone else first? It's always been about Beth---maybe for once, it needs to be about someone else."
"Okay, Dear Abby, thanks for the advice." Beth's face burned and her heart rate accelerated. Not wanting to hear another word about how awful she was and why Tyler was right to leave her, she stormed out of the room and headed to the stairs.
Charli's voice followed her, and the other woman caught up with her in the hallway. "Beth, I'm not saying all this to be a bitch. Tyler loves you. He's never stopped loving you. I've never seen someone so unhappy and miserable and lovesick as that man. He tried for as long as he could to stay away and make a new life, to leave you alone. But he couldn't. It's Christmas, and he's home. Now it's up to you to either make sure he knows it's over, or figure out where you two go from here if you want to work things out. I told you about last Christmas and why he didn't come home so you'd know all the facts. Now make the right decision."
"You stand there and tell me I'm an immature, spoiled brat, and yet you think his leaving was the right thing to do? He drove off without a word to his family? He walked away from his responsibilities to this ranch ... and he walked away from me. I'm sure you know about the note. You seem to know everything else. Yeah, he left me a note. Big deal. Who does that? Who leaves a note and then doesn't call to see if the person actually got the note? That's not childish?" Her voice was shrill and she figured Sara was going to show up any second at the bottom of the staircase and demand to know what was going on.
Charli shook her head. "People make mistakes, especially men. They seem to make more than most."
Beth stared, not sure right now if this woman was friend or foe. "A minute ago you said I was an immature brat and that's why he left me. Now you're saying he was wrong. I'm thinking you don't know what camp you're in."
The other woman slid one hand to the smooth wood of the banister and the other she set on her hip. Beth had an image of a confident model posing for a swimsuit shot as the other woman studied her.
"Doesn't matter what I know or don't know. What matters is what you know now---that maybe you were both to blame for this situation."
Charli brushed past her and walked down the stairs. Beth stared after her, feeling as if all the breath had been knocked out of her. Had she been a little princess? Did everything have to be her way all the time? Had she driven Tyler away?
Her mind whisked back in time; the years they talked about running away and being on their own, the plans they made, and the fun they'd have. Fast forward a few years and suddenly all her talk was about her practice, the house they'd build on the ranch, the six kids they'd have, and how good their life would be in Sweet Meadow. She spoke of how he'd work the ranch with their family; she'd have her practice and how life would be ... perfect.
Perfect. Because I said so. The laughter from downstairs drew her out of her thoughts. She brushed at her eyes and drew a deep breath.
Sara and Charli were in the kitchen fixing sandwiches when Beth entered. She picked up her purse. "I've gotta get going. I'll call you later." She walked to the backdoor and wasn't going to look at Charli again but something drew her gaze back.
Charli's blue eyes were warm and full of affection as she stared at her. "It's going to be okay, Beth. I promise."
She didn't reply. Her eyes filled with tears and it was all she could do to slip her shoes back on and get out the back door. Te screen door slammed on her way out and she marched to her truck, jerking open the door and climbing inside before the first sob hit.
The truth was out, she really had been spoiled---she just never realized it.
"So, let me understand this again? This supposedly good friend of your sister's tells you that you're to blame for why Tyler walked out ... and you believed her?"
Beth paced around the clinic office with her cell phone headset on. She picked up another file and tried to fit it into the too-full file cabinet. Grant had called to check in, and the next thing she knew she was spilling her guts. He was her friend, and she trusted him to tell it to her straight. "It's true, though. How can it not be true?"
"How about the twenty-four-seven workdays we had when we first took over from Doc? How about the fact that we now consider a twelve hour work day to be a 'slow' day? That doesn't sound like the type of life a spoiled, rich girl leads."
"But most vets are up to their eyeballs in student loan debt, and it takes years and years before they can buy their own practice. I didn't have to do any of those things. Doc gave this practice to me; just handed it over without a second thought from either of us."
"So?" Grant snorted in her ear. "Come on, Beth, you're making no sense. No princess would do the type of dirty work you do. Does this Charli woman have any clue what it's like to help a horse give birth? Does she know the conditions you work in day in and day out?"
Beth chewed her bottom lip and paced some more. She straightened her certificates on the wall of her office and fixed the curtains at the window. "Look, I'm trying to put a new perspective on this; trying to see if maybe I did drive Tyler away."
"No. What you are doing is trying to find justification for taking him back. Weston's a jerk and now he's letting someone else plead his case."
Beth sank into her office chair and stared out the window over the back pasture of the ranch. Horses chased each other in the distance, and she noted the dark clouds above their heads. Rain was coming, and with the cold temperatures, maybe even some ice. Great. Bad weather always meant for a long night, and it was Christmas Eve. "All this time I thought he didn't want to come home for Christmas last year," she muttered more to herself.
"If he wanted to bad enough, he would have called."
Beth sighed. With Grant, it was right or wrong, black or white; there was no in between. It was pointless to argue with him. "I'll talk to you after Christmas, Grant. Give my best to your family. And try not to murder your sister while you're there."
Grant grunted. "Listen, I've just spent the past week butting heads with my father and my oldest sister. It's easy for me to understand why Tyler took off, especially if his family drove him away the way mine does. What I don't understand, or agree with, is what he did to you. No man walks away from a relationship the way he did."
"I told you about the note," she defended.
"Yeah, and when you didn't show up for Labor Day, did he call? Did he even once think that maybe you hadn't gotten the note? I'm telling you, if it were me, I would have had to know for sure. One phone call is all it would have taken."
Beth closed her eyes. That's what she thought too. After an entire lifetime of promises, spoiled or not, hadn't she been worth at least a follow up phone call?
"When you get back, let's look at buying that new machine we talked about before you left."
"I've had some time to do some checking on the internet, and I think we can get it for a pretty good price if we're willing to pick it up rather than have it delivered."
Beth sat back against the chair and idly twirled around. "Maybe we can go together and get it, a day trip or something."
Grant snorted. "Yeah, and who is going to stay behind and watch the shop so to speak. That's another issue we have. We really need to figure out if we can hire another vet. We could use the extra hands."
"You really think we have enough work for a third vet?"
"Yes, and definitely some office help."
Beth glanced around at the piles of files on the floor, the bookcase, in the baskets on her desk and the drawers in the file cabinet she couldn't shut. "You're right. What if we put an ad in the paper or on one of those internet job posting sites?"
She heard voices in the background of the phone and heard Grant sigh. "I'll write something up while I'm here---if my sister will get off my back for thirty seconds. I gotta go. Try to have a good day tomorrow, and I'll see you right after the first."
"Okay, you too. Don't kill Laura or your father." She clicked off the phone and took off her headset, leaving it on the desk.
In the kitchenette, she opened the refrigerator but was out of bottled water and soda. She really needed to get some supplies. Grant usually kept it stocked, but with him gone, she'd been using and not replacing.
The short walk across the corral into the living quarters took only a few minutes. Sifting her fingers through her hair she had a sudden flashback of Tyler doing the same thing when they'd kissed. Pushing that thought away, she opened the backdoor to the small house and turned on the lights. When Tyler first left, and she came home to find this house and clinic, she'd been too raw with pain to even be in here. Over time, with Grant in residence, she was able to look at the entire building without the emotional attachment. But then, she'd never let herself linger on the 'what if's.' As in, what if Tyler hadn't left? As in what if they had lived here together? This would be where they'd eat dinner together each evening and where they'd make love every night. Where they'd sit and watch TV curled up on the couch together and where they'd fight over whose turn it was to do laundry.
She grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and leaned against the counter. She had work to do, but all she could do was think about Tyler or, more specifically, her life with and without him. She'd missed him so much at first and then she became numb. Life without him was doable if she didn't allow herself to remember or look back. But she'd only been half alive. Even achieving her dream of becoming a vet and working in her own practice hadn't excited her. Nothing had until the other night in Tyler's arms again. Everything inside her---body, soul, emotions---everything sprang to life again. Now the rest seemed dull in comparison.
Right or wrong, he'd always been the other half to her whole.
That's what no one had understood last year. It wasn't just a breakup, some romance that someone could get over. She and Tyler were a connection, and had been since they were little kids. Their mothers would put them in the same playpen while they worked alongside Flo or left for a day of riding with their husbands. The relationship they'd had was one that very few ever experienced. Tyler had been there all the time: next to her, cheering her on, holding her up, wiping her tears. Then he was gone---along with a large part of herself.
Maybe it had been too much for him; maybe while she was enjoying that bond, he felt smothered. She was one more thing that tied him down and made him feel this overwhelming responsibility. He had to get out before he lost himself completely.
Beth grabbed a bag out of the cupboard and filled it with bottles of water and cans of soda. She added a couple bags of chips from the cupboard and the cheese and crackers for good measure. Maybe her life wasn't exciting without Tyler in it, but at least she didn't have to worry about getting hurt.
She'd learned to stand on her own two feet while he was gone; she was independent and that wasn't always bad. And she wasn't willing to go through heartbreak like that twice. No one was worth it, not even him.
Christmas Eve was a big event on the Double B where everyone in the family came together for a large dinner. Tyler looked around the table, wondering if they had left an empty seat for him last year.
"Hey. Wake up and pass the roast."
He pulled his thoughts back to the present and took the heaping platter of beef that Teddy thrust towards him. The food smelled wonderful. The room was full of laughter as everyone around the table passed the bowls of food, laughed, and teased. Cord sat in his usual spot at the head of the table, with Charli to his right. Tyler caught her eye and she winked. He grinned back.
Across the table, he noticed Beth watching them. Her blue eyes weren't amused: rather, they were wary. His smile dropped. Did she think he and Charli had a thing going? He studied her for several seconds, and her gaze pulled away. Did it matter to her if he and Charli had been together? In all the years they were with one another, there'd never been an opportunity for Beth to experience jealously. There wasn't another woman he'd so much as glanced at, and she knew that. Did she really think he'd changed that much since he left?
"Come on, keep up your part in this or don't eat," Teddy complained again as he shoved a bowl of mashed potatoes and some vegetables in his direction.
Tyler loaded up his plate and kept the food moving to Susan who was on his other side.
Beth's sister leaned over, almost across him, and Tyler leaned back as she spoke to Teddy.
"What's with you, Scrooge?"
"Scrooge? I'm a scrooge because I told him to pay attention?"
Susan shrugged and reached across Tyler for the basket of rolls. "Maybe he thinks Santa is going to bring him coal in his stocking tonight."
"Yeah, and what's he putting in yours, Madame Broadway? Another Grammy Award, perhaps?"
Tyler leaned back again as the two of them went at it.
"No, those aren't given away; they're earned."
"Could have fooled me," Teddy muttered.
Tyler glanced at Susan whose eyes cast darts at his brother.
"Ty? Do you need some protective armor down there?" Cord yelled from the far end of the table.
"Seriously." Tyler shoved the gravy boat at Susan. "Come on you two, it's Christmas Eve. And we have guests."
"That we do," Teddy agreed with a large grin as he lifted his wine glass. "And I'd like to propose a toast." He rose and addressed the table. "To our friends Chase Boyd and his absolutely ravishing daughter, Charli. Thank you so much for gracing our holiday table this year."
"Here, here! Merry Christmas," the chorus of voices around the room echoed.
Tyler watched as Sara leaned into Buck and he kissed her temple. Charli rested her hand on Cord's forearm making some point or other. Her father sat across from her and nodded his head every once in a while. Flo and Sam were opposite him, talking with Beth and laughing.
"I need to tell everyone something," he said. No one appeared to have heard so he caught Cord's gaze.
The young patriarch of the family held up his hand, and everyone around the table went quiet. "Tyler wants to say something."
"Thanks," he said and stood. "Last year, on Christmas Eve afternoon, I decided I had to come home. I couldn't stay away any longer and I headed this way. Unfortunately, I was in an accident." Flo gasped and someone else muttered, but Tyler went on. "It was a pretty bad car accident, and they had to airlift me to the hospital. I begged Charli and her father not to call any of you because I didn't want to ruin your holidays. I didn't want anyone coming there. I felt, after the way I left, it would have been pretty rotten for me to ruin Christmas, too. I told them both that I'd call home right after Christmas and tell you what was going on. But I didn't. That was entirely my fault, not the Boyds. They were only respecting my wishes."
He swallowed hard as the silence continued and glanced at Cord then Buck, looking for some sign of forgiveness or understanding. Anything but the hard, dark looks they were casting his way. He couldn't look at Flo; he knew the disappointment he'd find there.
Finally, Cord nodded. "I don't need to lecture you on how rotten that was. Anyone here would have rather spent their Christmas by your bedside than thinking you didn't want to be here. But it's behind us now. Last year is past and this year is now." He lifted his glass and turned to the Boyds. "Thank you for being there and taking good care of Ty and proving once again what very good friends you both are." He turned to Tyler. "It's good to know that hard head of yours is intact or the accident surely would have scattered your brains all over the place." He grinned to soften his words and took a drink of his wine.
Everyone lifted their glasses and did the same, murmuring their own sentiments. Tyler could sense Beth watching him and turned to her, unsure what he'd see in her gaze. Her blue eyes weren't full of hatred and anger as he expected, but rather almost ... understanding.
For several seconds he watched her until she smiled just slightly and went back to eating.
Was he forgiven? Did she understand? No, that would be too easy. He'd grown used to her constant anger for anything he did last year. Maybe it was just the mellow holiday mood that softened her smile.
"So, Cord, is Santa going to finally bring you a wife this year?" Buck teased.
"Just because you got your girl doesn't mean we all need one," Cord returned smoothly, digging into his plate of food.
"Cord will find the right girl someday," Flo insisted.
Sam scoffed. "He's too fussy. This one's too blonde, or too short, or too curvy or..."
The eldest Weston brother laughed. "I can't help it if I'm particular about the future mother of my children."
"What do you think, Charli? Is Cord too fussy?"
Tyler laughed when Charli grinned and touched Cord's arm. "Cord is a man who knows exactly what he wants and is not willing to budge on that goal." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "However, I am of the belief that there is no reason he can't have a little fun while he's searching."
The laughter continued and Cord's neck turned crimson at the redhead's teasing. Tyler couldn't picture the vivacious and incredibly sexy Charli with his staid oldest brother, but he sure wished Cord would lighten up a bit and let her show him a little bit of fun. She'd always had a huge crush on Cord, and it would only take him giving in for half of a second for her to show him a good time.
"You know, next year at this time, things won't be so refined and quiet around this table as they are now," Buck interjected. His large arm pulled his wife up against him and he kissed her head.
"That's right. Next year, we'll have a little one sitting in the family high chair." Giddy, Flo stood up with the empty roll basket and headed towards the kitchen.
Tyler couldn't help but be moved by the sight of his brother and Sara. A sudden image of Beth swollen with his baby crept to mind, and he glanced over at her. Her eyes were full of longing as she watched her sister. Did she still want kids?
"I think that with all these adults, this is going to be one spoiled little guy." Sara rubbed her stomach, not looking as if she minded at all.
"Nothing wrong with spoiling little ones," Flo said as she walked back into the room. "I spoiled every one of you and look how good you turned out."
"She spoiled you all, and I had to take you out back and whip you into shape," Sam muttered, grabbing the fresh basket of rolls before it went too far.
Everyone laughed amongst choruses of, "Yeah we were all so afraid of you."
The old man tried not to smile but Tyler saw the corners of his mouth tilt up.
Flo leaned over and kissed him. "You old softie. You were the worst of all of us, the way you fussed over these kids."
"It seems odd that the next generation is coming, doesn't it?" Susan commented.
Beth's heart squeezed at the talk of kids and the next generation. Only two years ago, if anyone had been asked, all bets were on her and Tyler to have the first baby. Not that she begrudged Sara and Buck; it was perfect that they got together and were having a family. Still, she'd always imagined she'd be at least married by now and talking about having a baby.
The phone rang and Beth jumped from the table to answer it, thankful for the distraction. "I bet that's Diane."
She didn't wait to hear the replies from her family as she walked quickly through to the great room and picked up the phone on the table. "Hello?" she answered, sinking into the soft leather couch.
"Merry Christmas!" her oldest sister's sang over the phone line.
"I knew it was you! How are you? How's Paris? When are you coming home?" Beth fired the questions at Diane.
"Paris is fine. I'm fine, and I've got some good news."
She waited for Diane to tell her she was coming home.
"I got married this morning!"
Beth's mouth fell open. Her brow furrowed and she wondered if she'd heard right. "What did you say? Married? To who? Not Henri?"
Diane laughed lightly. "Yes, silly, to Henri. Don't make it sound so bad. I know you guys don't know him, but you'll have to trust me on this. He's asked me before, but for some reason it just felt right this time. We ran off this morning and got married in a little ceremony in this tiny church outside Paris. I'll email some pictures to you."
Beth tried hard to find enthusiasm, but the fact of the matter was, no one liked or trusted this Henri LeBeau, including her. Flo called him a snake charmer, and Sam had even tougher names for the French man. She forced all that down and tried to sound cheerful. "Di, that's wonderful. The family will be, uh, so happy for you."
Diane laughed. "No, they won't, but they'll have to trust that I know what I'm doing. Henri and I have gotten very close since we've been here and he makes me happy."
It didn't pass her that her sister didn't mention love. Beth's heart ached wondering why on earth her beautiful sister would settle for someone like Henri. "Well, let me get someone else on the phone too. Hang on, do you want to talk to Susan first or Sara?"
"How's Sara feeling? Susan sent me pictures---I can't believe how big she is. Did you ever in your life imagine her pregnant? I always thought it would be you first."
"Yeah, I know, me too," she muttered.
"How's that going? With Tyler home and all?"
"It's okay. We're coming to terms with it all," she lied. "I-I'll get Susan."
Beth set the phone down and slowly walked back to the dining room. She hated to be the one to share the news and ruin everyone's dinner. "It's Di." She couldn't look at Cord and instead turned directly to Susan. "Um, she and Henri got married this morning."
No one said a word except Cord. Beth winced as he cussed harsh and short and shoved back from the table.
She put her hand out to stop him. "She wants to talk to Susan."
He gave a crisp nod and kept on walking. "Yep, right after I'm done with her."
Sam stood. "Cord!"
The steaming cowboy ignored him, his strides long and purposeful as he left the dining room.
Beth turned to Flo. The older woman shook her head as if she didn't know what to say. She pleated the linen napkin in her hand as her brows furrowed in concern.
From the other room Cord's voice raised in anger, and then the doors to the den slammed shut.
"I better go in there," the older woman declared.
"Leave him be." Sam grabbed her hand as she stood up. "Won't do no good for you to get upset too."
"Sam's right, Flo. Besides, Cord isn't going to listen to you right now," Susan agreed.
"What am I missing here?" Charli's confused expression went from one to the other around the table.
Beth slipped back into her chair. "Diane moved to Paris to help Henri LeBeau with a major interior design renovation about two years ago. Right after Sara's wedding actually."
"I knew that, but when did it turn into a love affair? I thought she had better taste than that."
Beth took a drink from her water glass, but the thought of eating anything else sickened her. Her mind whirled. Had LeBeau forced her somehow? "We think he's after her for her money. Cord's had him checked out. He turned up okay but we don't trust him. It's hard to explain."
"It's her life," Charli defended. "Diane is an adult. Why is Cord in there tearing into her?"
"Same reason I'd be on you if you married someone like that," Chase spoke up. "Cord's trying to protect not only her, but the family's assets."
"The guy's pure slime," Teddy commented, the only one still digging into his dinner. "I've met him. I don't like him."
Sara shook her head. "I never thought she could be buffaloed. I thought she was smarter than that."
Teddy popped his head up. "Any woman can be charmed, if you do it right."
Susan instantly turned on him. "That's what you think. Don't judge all of us by the bimbos you date. Most of us have a brain and not just plastic Barbie doll boobs."
"All I'm saying is the guy is a salesman, and he's sold her a line of goods that she's buying. He's good at it, and maybe he's also good somewhere else. Before you know it, she's hooked and thinks she's in love," Teddy rationalized.
"She never mentioned love." Beth leaned back in her chair. "She said they were happy, she was happy, and even said he finally wore her down. But Di didn't use the word, love."
Susan turned to Buck. "Do you think Cord will go over there?"
Their brother-in-law shook his head. "Nope, he'll come back and say well, she's just screwed up her life. He'll bitch about it for a while, and then he'll let it go. Not much he can do---like Charli said, she's an adult, not a child."
In the distance they heard footsteps and the conversation stopped.
Cord strode back into the room. His hair was mussed as if he'd been raking his hands through it. His face was red and his eyes were cold. He didn't look at any of them. "Susan, your sister wants to talk to you."
Beth watched Susan scramble away as if she was a teenager again and Cord had told her to go to her room. Frankly, she was envious of her. She'd love to leave the table too.
Everyone stared at Cord who had resumed eating. Finally he lifted his head. "My first inclination was to go over there and haul her home, but, as she quite elegantly pointed out, this is her business. She's thirty and I have no control over her life."
Beth frowned. She'd love to have been a fly on the wall hearing that conversation. Diane could dish it out as well as Cord and, unlike the rest of them, she wasn't in the least bit intimidated by him.
"I'm going to talk to Jake. I need to make sure that jackass can't get his filthy hands on the majority of her money."
"You can't do anything can you? I mean, Jake told us all when Daddy died that once we reached twenty-five, our full inheritance was ours to do with what we wanted," Beth questioned. Having just turned twenty-five, her bank account had grown considerably overnight.
"Yes, but there's a large chunk of it wrapped up in the business, and I'll be damned to hell before he'll get so much as a rock of this place. If she is stupid enough to blow most of her inheritance and her designer business on him, I can't do a damn thing about it. But I will never let him get even a tiny piece of this ranch," Cord slammed his closed fist on the table and the glassware jumped.
The barn was quiet. The moon overhead glowed high and full as Tyler made his way across the ranch yard. Everyone in the family had been asleep for hours; well, almost everyone. He knew one person who wouldn't be and he knew exactly where she'd be. He hoped.
Inside the darkened barn, the horses shifted in their stalls. A grey cat slept curled up in the straw; the old Tom didn't even lift his head as Tyler walked past. It only took him a few minutes to spot her sitting on the floor with her back resting against the stable walls.
For a second, he thought her asleep, but as he got closer, she turned her head.
"Hey," he said softly and squatted down next to her.
"Hey."
"Hear anything yet?" He sat down fully, resting his back against the same wall. It was chilly out here. The storm the weatherman had been predicting hadn't come yet and he hoped it wouldn't. He needed the cold, but not the ice, for tomorrow.
"Nah." She blushed and glanced behind her at the stalls. "I don't know why I still do this."
"It's tradition."
"I'm not six anymore."
"Me either." For a long moment he held her gaze.
Beth chewed her bottom lip and her eyes filled with regret. "I wish I'd known about the accident. I spent so much time hating you for not coming home for Christmas."
He swallowed hard. "I should have handled that differently, but I didn't want to ruin everyone's holiday."
"It was ruined far more by thinking you didn't care."
Tyler longed to pull her into his arms, but with her tense body posture and arms wrapped around her drawn up knees, he didn't think she'd welcome the embrace. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and stared out ahead into the dark. "That's the problem, I didn't think. I guess I was pretty good at that last year."
Beth didn't reply. Tyler didn't know if that was good or bad.
She stretched out her legs and rested her hands on her thighs. "That's something about Diane," she commented.
Tyler sighed and rested his head against the wall. "Yeah. I thought Cord was going to have a coronary."
"Did you think he overreacted a bit? What was with all that?"
"It's a control thing. She's way over there, and he can't have his finger on what's happening. Drives him crazy when he can't make sure everything is the way he wants it to be."
"That's one of the reasons you left, isn't it? Cord was controlling you ... I was controlling you."
He turned, and for the first time since he'd been home, he didn't see anger in her eyes. She seemed to understand at least a bit more about why he left like he did. Why he couldn't take it another day. Without stopping to wonder how she'd react, he slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. She went without hesitation, snuggling against his side. Her hand splayed on his heart and her head rested below his chin. Tyler sighed and closed his eyes. This was all he wanted for Christmas.
"I've grown up a lot. I wouldn't handle things the same way now. Running away wasn't the way to deal with things."
Beth nodded and raised her head from his chest. "Maybe, maybe not. I don't know that I would have listened. I was so consumed with finishing my degree and taking over the practice, I honestly don't know that I would have understood how serious you were."
Her breath smelled like peppermint, most likely from the candy cane she'd been crunching earlier. He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. She didn't pull away, and her moist lips welcomed his kiss. When he covered her mouth with his own, she slid her hand across his chest and moaned deep in her throat. He savored the taste of the Christmas candy on her tongue and enjoyed the softness of her breast pressing into his side. Sliding his hand down her back, he cupped her hip in his hand and pulled her closer. Her thigh slid between his, and her hand reached to touch his face. His heart raced and his jeans tightened as she stroked her hand along the line of his jaw.
Tyler broke the kiss and drew in deep harsh breaths of air. Beth blinked open her eyes to stare drowsily up. She turned her head and pressed her open mouth to his neck and kissed his skin. He closed his eyes as desire washed over him. When she climbed into his lap, he wrapped his arms around her as she straddled his thighs. Beth kissed his neck again and threaded her fingers into his hair. She had to know what she was doing to him; the evidence pressed into her soft rear end. But she didn't seem to mind. He slid his hand under the back of her sweater and caressed the soft smooth skin of her back. She wiggled in his lap and rubbed herself on his hardness.
"Beth," he complained but without really wanting her to stop.
"Hmm," she sighed and nuzzled his ear.
Under her sweater, he swept his hands up under her breasts and brushed his thumbs along her pebbled nipples.
Beth whimpered and sat up straighter in his lap, throwing her head back as he caressed her. When he rolled her nipples between his thumb and finger, she moaned. "That feels so good."
"You're killing me," he whispered.
"When we were kids, and we'd come out here and wait to hear if the animals would talk, how did we pass the time?"
"I don't remember." He lifted her sweater until he could see her small breasts. Then he pressed her forward and lifted her to his mouth, capturing one rosy peak between his lips.
Beth's breath grew harsh, and she arched into him. "Remember how much trouble we'd get in when our parents found us asleep in the stalls?"
Tyler lifted his head, letting one breast slip free from his mouth to turn his attention to the other. "I think we got ourselves in more trouble when Flo found us asleep together ten years later."
Berth laughed. "She chewed Sam out good for that. He's the one who told us the animals talk on Christmas Eve."
Tyler looked into her sparkling eyes. It was so good to see her happy; he wished the moment would never end. He swallowed hard, afraid to break the moment. "Yep, and then she explained about the birds and the bees. Although we'd figured that part out long before she sat us down."
He'd give anything to pull her down to the floor and make love to her, but if they made love again, it had to be because it was right and not just because it felt good. He lifted his head and regretfully set her sweater back in place. Ignoring her confused look, he pulled her back into his arms and settled her against his chest. "We have to be still and quiet, or they'll know were here."
Her heart hammered against his own, and her breath was unsteady. He closed his eyes and tried to forget how hard he was.
Minutes ticked by and he wondered if she'd gone to sleep. He rubbed her back safely on top of her sweater and let her rest.
"Ty?"
"Hmm?"
She lifted her head. "Do you think I was a spoiled brat growing up?"
He frowned. "What are you talking about? Why do you say that?"
She climbed off his lap, stood up and walked away a few steps. "I was the youngest, and everyone always gave in to me. I'm thinking maybe you got sick of it always having to be my way."
"Who put that idea in your head?"
She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I've thought back over things and wondered if maybe I was partially to blame for why you had to get out of here."
Tyler stood up and crossed the small aisle of the barn to where she leaned her back against the wall. "If I'd told you I was leaving, what would you have done?"
"I'd have gone with you."
"Exactly. And if I told you it was me or the practice, what would you have chosen?"
She looked up and his heart jerked at her hesitation.
"You," she whispered.
He kissed her forehead in agreement. "And you would have given up everything you'd worked hard for, and the one thing you wanted more than anything in this world ... just for me."
She nodded. "Yes ... and I think I would have been really mad about it."
"Exactly. And well you should have been. No one should have to choose between what they love to do and who they love."
She turned her head away. "You did."
"Look how wrong I was."
"I wish I'd read the note. I wish---"
He cupped her cheek to halt that line of thinking. "You can't go back and change anything. I wish I'd made it home last Christmas---who knows what would have happened."
Beth shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "Last Christmas Eve I was here, alone. I cried and cried thinking you didn't love me, that you didn't care enough to come home. I didn't know you were in a hospital fighting for your life."
"I could have had Charli call, but I didn't. I'm sorry about that now. It's just one more mistake I've made in a long list of things I can't undo."
Blue eyes opened and gazed sadly into his. "So, what now? What do we do now?"
Hell, he didn't have the answers. The only thing he could think to do was go to bed and figure it out after they'd made love. But even he was smart enough to know that wouldn't fix their problems for the long haul.
He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from touching her. "I told you, I'm staying. But you don't believe me."
Beth reached out her hand but stopped short of touching him. "No, I'm sorry, I don't. I think after a time, you'll take off again, and then what? I can't go through that again."
"Then we're back to square one---you don't trust me, and I have no way to prove myself to you."
Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and the action drew his attention.
"I did have an idea," she said softly.
"What's that?" He was still focused on her mouth, thinking about all the delicious ways she could set him on fire with a kiss.
"Well, it's more than obvious that the chemistry we've always had is still there."
Tyler glanced down at his swollen crotch. "Uh, yeah."
Beth grinned and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I think instead of getting wrapped up in a relationship and talk about the future and all that, we should just go with what works and stop fighting it."
He frowned. "What are you talking about?"
She smiled an impish grin and glanced up from under her lashes. "I think we should enjoy the physical part of things and agree that that's all we have."
Tyler took a step back. "You want to have sex? That's it, just sex?"
Beth reached out towards him. "Don't you? A second ago, you wanted to toss me to the floor and jump me."
He narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, so?"
"Don't you see, Ty? If we enjoy each other right now, for however long it lasts, with no commitment on either side, then no one will get hurt if you decide to move on again."
"No one will get hurt? You don't think that sleeping together on a regular basis, and then ending it, isn't going to hurt?" Is she insane? Or was he insane for even arguing the point?
On the other hand, she was offering him the chance to get her back in his life. Maybe with her in his arms every night, he could convince her that he'd changed and was home for good. Sounded good, but something still didn't feel right. Why did it irk him so much that she was offering this type of relationship, settling for sex alone.
When Beth was determined, there was little that could stop her. She reached for him, unsnapping his jeans and drawing down his zipper before he even knew she had moved. Her small, but very sure hand was in his boxers, cradling him before he could say anything else. Tyler stepped closer as she played, stroked, and drove him crazy.
She grinned up. "I think we both want each other. It's not like we're strangers who just hooked up in a bar. Why keep tormenting ourselves and denying the pleasure we know we can give each other?"
She slid to her knees and covered him with her mouth. Tyler groaned and his eyes closed. He didn't know what was hotter, the feel of her mouth on him again, or the site of her kneeling, her blonde head bobbing up and down as she pleasured him. He moaned and leaned one hand against the wall for support as she expertly brought him to a point where he had to have more. "Beth," he growled.
Unperturbed, she continued; the only sounds in the barn were his harsh breathing and her mouth working its heavenly magic on his swollen shaft. When it became too much, he reached down, but she refused to stop. He found himself sifting his fingers through her hair instead and letting her do exactly what she wanted.
Only when he shuddered and stiffened, his knees threatening to buckle, did she take her mouth off him. There must have been a rag lying nearby because he felt her cover him with a cloth as he exploded.
Gently, she wiped him and stood up. Tyler hugged her to him as he struggled to breathe normally. Beth's arms wrapped around his waist and his still bared erection pressed into her belly. She snuggled in closer.
Tyler drew a long, deep, steadying breath. "Maybe you have a good idea," he reluctantly agreed.
She tipped her head back. "Oh? What did I possibly do to convince you of that?"
He laughed and dropped a kiss on her very sexy little mouth. "Does this new situation of ours have rules?"
She slowly stepped out of his arms. Tyler took the moment to quickly tuck himself back into his jeans and zip up. He then picked up the rag she'd used and tossed it into the waste basket.
"I think the first rule should be that we don't spend the whole night together."
"Sex, but no sleeping together? Why's that?"
"Waking up with each other every day would be great, but when it ended, we'd miss that. I think we should have as much sex as we want, but we don't move into each other's beds. That makes it too much like a relationship."
Tyler was still annoyed that she kept insisting it was going to end. But, at the same time, to keep her close, he'd have to go along with it, for now. "Okay, next rule?"
She plucked a stray horse hair out of the wall of the barn and flicked it to the ground. Why was she avoiding his eyes?
"The family doesn't need to know. It's no one's business but ours. No acting like we're a couple."
"It's not their business; I like that part." He'd work on that last bit. "Now, I have a rule too."
"Okay, let's hear it."
"We may not be in a relationship that you think has a future, but neither of us is to date anyone else while we're sleeping together." There was no way he was going to stand by and watch her with Cole.
She widened her eyes. "Of course not, that goes without saying."
"Yeah, well, I'm saying it." He had no way of knowing if she'd been with anyone else while he was gone, but he'd be damned if he'd sit home while she was out with Cole or anyone else.
"Anything else?" she asked.
"Yeah." He leered at her and wiggled his eyebrows. "When do we start?"
Her laughter filled the quiet barn. "Well, if we don't want the family to know what we're up to, we better not start tonight. How about tomorrow night, after all the celebrations?"
Tyler stepped close, sliding his hands around to cup her tiny rear end and pull her up against him. "We'll have a celebration of our own," he whispered against her mouth.
Beth went up on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. "We won't even need mistletoe."
It wasn't the perfect Christmas gift, but it was damn close.
Beth walked into the kitchen and immediately headed to the coffee maker. Around the table, the family was already reminiscing about years past, and she half listened as she poured an ample amount of flavored creamer into the steaming mug.
"Do you remember that Christmas when Daddy took all of us to New York City and we saw the Rockettes?" Susan sipped her steaming coffee. "We were all in the hotel suite and trying the high kicks like they did and..." She broke off laughing and glanced at Flo as her sisters joined in. "And Flo tried it, slipped and broke her leg. We spent the next six hours in the emergency room." Susan grabbed her side as she gasped with laughter.
"It wasn't very funny at the time," Flo muttered.
"I would have given anything to watch them legs of yours try and lift as high as those girls," Sam said.
Flo swatted his shoulder. "We all wanted you to go but you wouldn't leave the ranch."
"I ain't never stepped foot off Texas soil, and I ain't about to."
"It ain't like it's going to poison you, old man." Flo shook her head.
"Born here and I'll die here. That's it."
Beth chuckled under her breath at the banter.
"That's okay, Sam. I try not to leave here unless I have to myself," Teddy agreed. "Besides, New York is full of elevators." He shuddered dramatically, making them all laugh.
"You'll wrestle a bull to the ground, but one silver metal box that goes up and down sends you into fits," Susan scoffed.
"We all have our fears." Flo tried to be the peacemaker between the two as always.
"Some fears are just irrational," Susan insisted.
Teddy shot her a look. "Some people are irrational."
Cord joined Beth at the counter and picked up the coffee pot. He bent towards her and kissed her cheek. "Merry Christmas, little lady."
"Merry Christmas, Cord," She smiled before moving to the table and sliding into a chair next to her sister.
"So, tell us, how were the animals last night?" Susan asked. Her blue eyes sparkled as if she had a secret.
Beth choked on the hot coffee. All she could think about last night was what she did to Tyler and the deal they'd made. She'd forgotten all about trying to hear the animals talk. Probably a real good thing they couldn't. "Uh, quiet as always. I guess they waited until I left."
Sara reached for the tray of pastries in the center of the table. "Did Tyler catch up to you?"
"Yeah, he found me in the barn." The images in her head made her flush, and she only hoped her cheeks hadn't reddened and given her away.
"Good morning and a very Merry Christmas!" Chase Boyd joined them in the kitchen and reached for a mug of coffee. "Charli's grabbing a shower and said not to wait for her."
"Why don't we all head out to the great room and have our coffee there?" Flo opened a cupboard, pulled out a large tray and put the sugar, cream, and spoons on it.
Susan joined her at the counter and filled a coffee carafe with what was left in the pot and set another one on to brew. "We usually have a big brunch later after opening the presents," she explained to Chase.
"It's nice to be here with all of you. Sometimes it gets a bit quiet with just Charli and me."
Beth frowned, thinking of last year. She'd been in rough shape at Christmas and hadn't even made it to the big holiday dinner before begging off and going back to bed. If Grant hadn't made her get up, she'd have likely slept right through to New Year's.
She blinked to get her mind off the past.
Cord lifted the coffee laden tray off the counter and headed out of the kitchen, joined by Chase, Susan, and Flo.
Buck stood up and helped Sara to her feet. "I hope Santa brought me a new back because I'm going to need one before this baby comes," he teased.
His wife smacked his arm. "Why don't you try carrying the next one."
"The next one? How many are you two having?" Teddy asked.
"We've got lots of bedrooms to fill in that house of ours." Buck pulled his wife close to his side and kissed her.
Teddy's eyes widened and he started to say something but Susan jammed him in the stomach with her elbow. "Oh, I'm so sorry did I bump into you?" she asked sweetly, and flounced from the room.
Beth looked around. "Where's Tyler?" He couldn't be sleeping in, could he?
"You'd better come look at this, Beth!" Susan hollered from the front of the house.
Beth picked up her pace down the hall towards the great room. Inside, Susan had opened the drapes that covered the large picture window. White powder covered the entire front yard. The branches in the small trees, the bushes, everything was coated with white. Stepping up to the window, she glanced out over their yard. If she didn't know for sure she was in Texas, Beth would have sworn she was looking at snow.
In the middle of the horseshoe shaped driveway sat a team of horses hooked to a wagon. Tyler sat in the driver's seat, the grin on his face a mile wide.
"The boy's nuts!" Teddy remarked. "He had to have been up all night doing this."
"He's damn lucky. It's supposed to be cold today, or all that would be melting as fast as he made it," Sam muttered behind her.
"It's a white Christmas," Beth whispered.
"Let's go," Buck commanded, pulling his wife along behind him.
The family filed out onto the front porch with Beth following more slowly behind. She'd never had a white Christmas ... and Tyler had given it to her. She swallowed hard, desperately trying not to get emotional, but her heart swelled towards him and she couldn't help it. This had to have cost him a fortune not only in money, but time as well.
Ignoring the rest of the family, Tyler jumped down from the wagon and held his hand out to her. She stepped off the porch and bent down to pick up a handful of snow. "It feels so real." Back in New York, the ski resort made snow all the time, but it was usually on top of some real snow. This was all manufactured and she was shocked it felt like the real thing.
"Where on earth did you get this?" she asked. She looked around and for the first time, saw the enormous machine off to the side.
"I couldn't do a horse drawn sleigh, so the wagon will have to do, but how about a ride?" She smiled up and he took her hand, leading her to the wagon. Not caring that she was still in her pajamas, Beth climbed up into the seat. Ty pulled a blanket from the back up and over her shoulders and another onto her lap. Snuggled in the warmth of the fleece and in the knowledge that Tyler had done something for her that no one else would ever have dreamed of doing, her heart swelled with warmth. She wished there was a way he could climb under the blanket with her.
She inhaled the brisk air and held onto the seat as he set the wagon in motion. "You were lucky we had this cold snap."
"That's for sure." He urged the horses ahead and they rode around the yard in a circle. "Actually, I would still have been able to make the snow, but it would have melted quicker."
Beth was in shock. How did he do this? She studied the team of horses for the first time. "Wait, whose horses are these?"
Tyler smiled. "I have Chase to thank for those. The wagon and the horses are his. Since the day before yesterday, I've had them hidden in a barn that we don't use anymore over in the back forty so you wouldn't know they were there. He had them trucked up here for me." He winked. "Pretty, aren't they?"
Beth couldn't do anything more than nod. The enormous Clydesdales were stunning. "Does he use them often?"
Tyler flipped the reins and clicked his tongue to the horses. "He bought them from the widow of a friend of his. He doesn't use them much, but once in a while, Charli drives them in the local parade."
Beth loved the way the wagon rolled along, the pitching and pulling as the horses found their rhythm. The cool air on her cheeks was refreshing and she smiled from ear to ear, unable to believe there was really snow in their yard on Christmas morning. She brushed back her hair and grinned up at the man next to her. "This is amazing, Ty."
They waved to the rest of the family as if they were in a parade themselves. Beth didn't remember the last time she felt this excited. First the agreement she and Tyler had come to last night and now this. What a difference a year made.
Her heart pounded thinking about being with Tyler later in the day. She wasn't going to let herself wonder about the future or if he'd be around. She was going to let today be wonderful and not think about anything else.
Several more times around the yard and Tyler pulled up to the front porch. "We'll ride around some more later, but I think we're holding everyone up from doing presents."
He jumped down and scooted around to her side of the wagon. Reaching up, he gloried in the smile shining in Beth's beautiful eyes as he let her fall into his arms and settled her on her feet. Knowing they were being watched from the house, he didn't pull her into his arms and kiss her, but hoped the look in his eyes told her he wanted to.
His back shielding her from view, Tyler cupped her jaw and whispered, "I couldn't sleep last night, thinking about what you did to me in the barn and what we talked about."
Beth's hand lifted to rest on his forearm. "Me either."
"Do you think, later this afternoon, we could slip away unnoticed and make sure everything is okay over at the clinic?" he suggested with an innocent raise of his brow.
"Sounds good to me." She leaned up and brushed a kiss across his cheek. "Thank you for the snow---this is the best gift I've ever received."
A half-hour later, paper scattered the floor of the great room. Susan dug under the tree for the last of the gifts. Emerging with a small package, she read the tag. "Tyler's" She shook it and then tossed the box across the room where he sat in the leather recliner.
"Hey, what if it's breakable?" He caught it easily enough, but grimaced at the brunette who was so casual with his gifts.
She wiggled her eyebrows. "I know what's in it and it's not."
With a half smile, he checked the tag. From Beth. He glanced up to catch her eye across the room. She returned his stare with a smile that made him wish this part of the day was over so it could be just the two of them celebrating.
Quickly unwrapping the small box, Tyler lifted off the cover and pushed aside the tissue paper. Unbelievable! A rare belt buckle, the very one he'd been searching for, shown back. Not only had Beth remembered, she'd actually been able to find it. He caught Beth smiling at him. "Wow, I can't believe you found this!"
"I saw it in this little shop and couldn't believe it was the same one you'd been trying to find."
Tyler picked up the metal clasp and traced the pattern on the silver buckle. He turned it over to study the back. "It's barely even worn."
"I know, isn't it weird? I mean, there it was, right in this antique shop window. I'm not even sure the guy knew what he had."
Tyler stood up and crossed the room to brush a kiss on her cheek. "Thanks so much."
She laughed. "Well, it's no snow storm in Texas, but it was the best I could do."
A commotion at the door had them all turning their heads. Sam tugged a huge package through the double doors. "This is for Sara," he grunted and pulled it to rest in front of her.
Knowing what it was, Tyler sat on the cushioned arm of Beth's chair to watch the show.
The pregnant woman untied a large bow and let the paper fall off the gift. "Oh," Sara cried and pressed her hands to her mouth.
Buck crossed the room. He sat on the arm of the couch next to his wife and touched the wood of the old cradle where names were carved on the headboard.
"All the Weston boys were rocked in this cradle." Sam blew his nose with a red and white hanky as Cord patted his shoulder.
"You did a great job, Sam. It's like brand new." Their beloved housekeeper wiped her eyes with a tissue she'd pulled from her sleeve.
Tyler smiled as Sara sifted through everything in the tiny bed.
"Flo, you made all these didn't you?" Tears poured from Sara's eyes.
"Well, most of them." She nodded and sniffled. "Now, some of those finer things, Diane sent from Paris. You don't have to use my homemade ones if you'd rather not."
Sara shook her head. "I can't tell the difference between yours and hers."
"Babies don't care what they poop and spit up on," Teddy interjected, lightening the sappy mood in the room. "Are we ever going to eat? I'm starved."
Susan slammed her hands on her hips. "You're always starved."
"Not all of us worry if the scale shifts a pound this way or that." He retorted and headed out of the room.
Charli laughed and linked her arm through Susan's. "This from the man who can't pass a mirror without checking himself out."
Susan giggled and the two women began to whisper as they walked from the room. Tyler heard his brother's loud complaint and figured that, once again, one of the ladies had gotten him back.
"Come on, Ty." Chase Boyd rubbed his stomach and moved towards the dining room. "I gotta feeling if we don't get a move on, there won't be anything left."
Cord touched the older man on the shoulder. "Don't let Flo hear you say that or she'll be back in the kitchen. It's hard enough for us to get her to take it easy as it is."
Tyler started to follow his brother from the room but couldn't help a glance back to see if Beth was going, too. She stood with Sara, admiring the tiny blankets in the cradle. His heart squeezed at the sight of her picking up the tiny baby sweater set. She laughed at Sara and then looked up in time to meet his gaze. He wanted her. It hit him powerful and hard, and it was all he could do not to cross the room and pull her into his arms and kiss her, long and hard. She was so damn beautiful. Her glowing eyes held his stare and, with his own, he told her all he wanted to do to her when he got her alone.
With one side of her mouth tipped upward, she dipped her head and looked away, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. He had no doubt she got his message loud and clear.
"You going to stand there all morning or what?" Sam pushed at him from behind and gave him a glare.
"Sorry, old man. I forgot you have to have your grits or you're grouchy." Reluctantly, he lead him to the dining room and sat down.
"Never you mind about my grits." Sam took a seat and Flo set a steaming bowl in front of him before he even picked up his napkin. Then she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and whispered something in his ear.
As Tyler watched, Sam laughed and nodded. Amazing. While the lanky, leathered old foreman and the elderly but robust housekeeper might seem an unlikely couple, they'd fallen head over heels in love over fifty years ago and were still going strong. Anyone who saw them together could see that in an instant. Anyone unfortunate enough to come upon them unexpectedly could also witness the passion they still shared. More than once, Tyler'd made that mistake.
Chuckling, he reached for the platter of bacon. Some things a guy didn't want to remember.
Sara and Beth joined the rest of the family and he couldn't help the stab of disappointment when Beth sat way at the far end of the table in between Teddy and Susan. He took the tray of stuffed French toast and added two big hunks to his plate. "You make these?" he asked, passing the tray to Charli.
She nodded. "I tried to make more and help Flo, but she wouldn't let me do much."
Tyler glanced at Flo who was pouring the thick white sausage gravy over biscuits on her plate. "Don't take it personal. She loves you, but she doesn't give up control of her kitchen."
Charli shrugged. "It's okay. I just hate seeing her on her feet so much."
"Trust me, all of us have tried to get her to slow down. She's bullheaded." He poured the warm salsa over his scrambled eggs and dug in. "Sam's the same way."
"How was the big surprise this morning?" She lowered her voice and glanced toward Beth.
He couldn't keep the proud smile from his face. "She loved it. The horses performed like true ladies, too."
"I knew they would. Nothing rattles them, not even being trailored six hours from home and stored in an unfamiliar barn. I'll make sure they get some extra special treats this afternoon."
Tyler put his arm around the other woman and gave her a squeeze. "You and your father went all out for me and I appreciate it."
"I just want to see you happy." She stabbed a piece of sausage with her fork and lifted it to her mouth. "I don't know much about being in love and all that, but if snow in Texas and a team of horses helps, I'm all for it." She winked.
He glanced at Beth to make sure she couldn't hear him. "We talked last night and came to a certain understanding." They'd agreed that the arrangement would just be between the two of them, but Charli had been there for him through everything. She knew how much he needed Beth to forgive him, how much he needed her back in his life. She'd be excited to hear that he was making some progress in the right direction. It was good to get someone else's thoughts on the subject too; he couldn't very well ask anyone in the family. They'd be furious with him even though the plan was Beth's idea.
"Oh, yeah?" Charli filled her coffee cup from the carafe on the table and then topped off Tyler's. "Is it a good understanding?"
"I don't know. I think so, but who knows." He couldn't help but look Beth's way and his heart skittered as he caught her staring at him. She furrowed her brow and glanced at Charli and then back to him. Tyler winked, relieved to see the corner of her mouth lift up into a small smile. What an idiot he was to ever have left her. No matter how hard things were at home with his brothers and Sara and all, he should have been able to stick it out. He'd learned a lot this year from Chase, and the man he was now would have handled everything differently. But he couldn't rewrite the past; all he could do now was try his best to make a good future. Maybe that's why he had such an issue with this plan of hers. It didn't feel right. Almost as if he was doing something immoral.
Didn't that take their relationship to a different level, sort of like Teddy handled his relationships? As long as the sex was good he stayed, but once that was done, he was done? He and Beth had something far more meaningful, didn't they? His smile faltered. She didn't really think all they had left was the physical side, did she?
"Hey, you awake down there or what?"
"What's wrong? What?" Tyler jerked his thoughts back to the table to find Teddy glaring his way.
"I asked you to send that plate of sausage this way."
"There's only one left." Tyler picked up the platter.
Charli took it out of his hands and pushed back her chair. "I'll get some more."
"I'll help you." Teddy followed so fast his chair tipped on two legs and almost fell.
"That boy never moved so fast in all his life," Sam grumbled, scooping the last of his grits out of his bowl.
Flo laughed. "He's got a whole lot of hope, that's for sure."
"He better not get more than his hopes up. Charli isn't one of those ditzy girls he usually chases." Susan lifted her glass of orange juice as if it was a toast. "She'll put him in his place, and I for one can't wait to watch him hit the ground."
Sara laughed next to her. "Tell us how you really feel."
Tyler grinned and, once again, his gaze landed on Beth. How were they going to slip away later? This is good. Not ten seconds ago he was telling himself the arrangement was all wrong, and now he was hoping the holiday festivities would end early so they could be together. The more he thought about making love to her, the more his brain shut down and the tighter his jeans became. Would they have to be quick in case someone wondered what they were up to? Or could they take all afternoon and no one would be the wiser? Visions of both versions crossed his mind and he took a long drink of water hoping to cool his insides a bit. It would be a long day if he couldn't get his mind focused on something else.
"Can I have everyone's attention?" Chase Boyd stood, mimosa in hand.
Teddy and Charli came through the door from the kitchen just in time, and Tyler couldn't help but notice how red his brother's face was. Shot down, again. Not surprising.
Chase waited until they slid into their seats. "Thank you to our wonderful friends for having us for the holidays. I can't tell you what it means to me. Your parents, God rest their souls, would be so proud to see all of you today." He nodded towards Sara and Buck. "The next generation is about to be born on the Double B, and the family business is steady and profitable for yet another year. The best part is all of you are here together to celebrate the holidays." He glanced at Flo. "Well, almost all of you. But, no worries about Diana. I'm sure she'll find her way back to the fold."
He cleared his throat, glanced to his daughter and then back to the crowd in general. "I'm getting on in years. It didn't escape me that what happened to Beau could easily happen to me. I've got a lot of good friends and good workers, but as far as my family goes, well it's just me and my girl there. Charli and I talked about something at length and we'd like to propose the following." He drew a deep breath and turned his attention to Cord. "Charli and I would like very much to become partners with the Double B by turning over forty-nine percent of the Circle S over to you."
Tyler frowned, his chest caving as if someone just stomped on it.
Cord's jaw dropped. Around the table everyone was equally shocked as Tyler glanced from one to the other. He and Chase had talked about this idea before, but never in a million years did he think the older man was ready to put the plan into motion now.
"I don't even know what to say to that, Chase." Cord cleared his throat but no more sound came from his mouth.
Tyler had never seen his brother at such a loss for words before.
Chase brought his hand down on Cord's shoulder. "There's a lot of details to work out, and we'll talk some more tomorrow with your attorney. But I'm dead serious here. I want to know what's going to happen to my own small empire before I kick it. I respect you, all of you, and we know you'll respect our vision." He turned and pinned Tyler with a beaming smile.
Ah hell. Tyler's heart hit the floor of his stomach. Could there be worse timing for this decision? He knew Chase meant well, but he also knew what was coming and, like a runaway horse, he couldn't stop it as Chase went on.
"With Charli retaining fifty-one percent, she'll have controlling interest, but we have no doubt there won't be any problems with decisions with Tyler running things alongside her."
Beth's napkin slid from her hand to the table. Her mind whirled. Had Chase really just offered to merge the two ranches and put Tyler in charge of the Circle S? In Abilene?
He was leaving again. Her breath caught and her gaze slammed into his. What the hell game was he playing? How long had he known about this?
Charli smiled a bit too bright. "Daddy, let's talk business later. I'd like to simply toast good friends, a wonderful holiday season, and the best of wishes for a happy New Year." She lifted her crystal glass and everyone did the same.
Around the table everyone talked at once and resumed eating. Beth set her fork down. If she tried to eat, she would surely choke.
Although it seemed like hours, only a short time passed before Sara announced she was heading home to rest for a while. "We'll take the cradle down to the house but leave everything else here for a bit."
Flo picked up the plates and began to walk towards the kitchen. "I'll just clean up and then we'll be heading into Norma's place for the rest of the day."
"We can take care of the kitchen, Flo. You and Sammy should get on the road." Susan followed the older woman through to the kitchen.
Beth picked up plates as if in a trance. All the happiness from earlier---the sleigh ride, the whispered promises---had disappeared. Tyler was leaving, again, just like she called it.
In the kitchen, she stacked the dishes on the counter then escaped out the back door. Charli and her sister could help Flo with the rest of the kitchen. She ran across the yard to the clinic and pushed the door open. Only once she was inside alone, did she pause and lean her back against the closed door to catch her breath.
He'd lied to her.
Even last night, when they'd come to that asinine agreement, he'd known that Chase was grooming him to take over the Circle S.
Somewhere deep inside, she had really believed him, believed that he was home for good and was tired of denying them both when she'd missed him so much.
But he'd known what was going to happen. Oh, maybe he hadn't known Chase was going to do it today, but in her gut, she knew that Tyler had to have been aware of the plan. She couldn't see Chase Boyd making an announcement like that out of thin air.
When was Tyler going to tell her? After they got back together? After he got his fill of making love night after night? After she became content and trusted him again?
She pushed away from the door, but instead of going to her office, she went in the other direction and headed into the small house. There was no way she was going to go through that kind of pain again.
All morning while they'd eaten breakfast, she'd been weaving this fantasy in her head. She planned to slip away from the family, come over here and make love with him all afternoon. She pictured them using the Jacuzzi tub and huge king sized bed in the master suite. Although Grant stayed in the house, he'd always used the second bedroom, never the master suite. This afternoon she'd thought about christening the room the way it was intended to be, her and Tyler, naked.
She sank to the oversized chair in the living room and put her feet up on the cushioned stool in front of it. Not two seconds later, she heard a door open and Tyler's voice call her.
There wasn't any point in denying she was there. "I'm in the living room," she called back.
He stopped just inside the arched doorway, arms crossed over his chest and feet braced as if ready for a fight.
"You could have told me." Beth glared, hating that the first thought in her head was how sexy he looked.
"There was nothing to tell. Chase had been talking, but you know how he is. He talks big. I never really thought he was seriously considering it. And, for the record, I never once told him I'd take over the Circle S."
"You had to have known he was grooming you for something."
Tyler dropped his arms and walked over to sit on the cloth-covered stool before her. He rested one hand on her leg and she immediately pulled her feet up, tucking them tight under her.
"We worked on some training methods with the new horses we brought in, things like that. I mean, sure, he showed me how he did things, introduced me to his staff and all, but not in an 'all this will yours one day' type of thing."
"I don't believe you." She narrowed her eyes. "You were there all this time and not once clued in to what he was looking to do?"
He lifted his hand in frustration and raked his fingers through his hair. "Don't you think I would have said something if he had? I've been home for over a week and telling you I'm staying. Why would I do that if I thought for one minute I was going back to Abilene?"
"To make sure I didn't stay with Cole? To sleep with me again?"
His brown eyes widened. "Is that how you think of me? You've known me your entire life and you honestly think I could do that?"
She raised one eyebrow and held his stare. "I never thought you'd walk away from me either, but you did."
"We're back to that. Full circle, Beth? Back to, I left so I'm an ass and can never be trusted by you again?" He pushed to his feet and paced the room. "How long do I have to keep begging at your feet for forgiveness? How long before I warrant more than a scrap of your affection?" His voice rose with anger.
Beth crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. How dare he try to make her out to be the witch. "How long? Never. That's how long. I don't want anything from you. Not your apologies, or your attempts to win back my affection with horses and snowfalls. Nothing. There's nothing you can do, Tyler Weston, to ever make up for what you put me through." She sprang to her feet and headed for the door. If he was staying here, she was leaving.
His fingers clamped around her arm.
"Let go of me." In her struggle to push his hand away, she stumbled over his booted foot, landing on the floor with a hard thud. "Oh!"
In a flash, Tyler was down on his knee next to her. "I'm sorry. Damn it, Beth, are you okay? Say something!"
She draped a hand over her eyes, not wanting to look at him. "I'm fine. Just go away, Ty. This, whatever it is with us, isn't working. I can't take the rollercoaster we're on."
He didn't comment, but seconds later his lips gently brushed her cheek. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Again."
He kissed her cheek once more, his lips warm on her skin. Her breath caught and he kissed again. His chest pressed against her own as he bent over her and kissed her yet again. This time his mouth was moist and open, and he caressed the open neckline of her silk blouse. He trailed a hot path to her neck and the spot beneath her ear. Her chest rose and fell as her breathing quickened.
Tingles raced up her spine and she bit her lip, trying to ignore the sensations. A large hand slid across her belly, over her silk blouse, long fingers curling into the material. Cool air raked across her bared midriff.
Even though she refused to respond, he continued to kiss her lips. Kiss after moist kiss he brushed across her mouth, driving her crazy and tempting her into forgetting everything but the wonderful sensations that swirled inside her. His tongue stroked the seam of her lips and her heart rate escalated. Her insides curled and ached for him to take her in his arms. Her body wanted to give in and her heart begged her for it, but her head told her she'd be a fool to trust him again.
Long, lean fingers flicked open the top few buttons on her blouse. His lips seemed to be everywhere, and where they weren't, his fingers were. He touched her, traced patterns on her skin, teased her in places that were so innocent and yet made her want so much more. He drew circles around her nipple and brushed against the sensitive peak with his thumb. His hot mouth closed over her breast through the silk of her blouse. Between her legs, she grew instantly moist.
His hand slid downward and then up just as smoothly, bringing the material of her skirt with him. The cooler air of the room felt good against her bared leg and, when his hand squeezed her thigh, she whimpered with need. The voice inside her grew fainter as her body's needs and her reaction to Tyler overcame sanity.
His fingers brushed the moistened silk between her thighs, and she couldn't help the cry that escaped her, or the way her hips lifted to encourage him to touch her again.
He pressed his mouth to the swell of her breast, his hand skimming up to lift her in his palm and circle the nipple with his tongue. She couldn't take much more and writhed in his hands. He was touching her just enough to set her on fire but not enough to satisfy her. Tyler knew what he was doing, and he knew exactly how she liked to be loved. He used all that information now to turn her into a puddle of desire.
He took her nipple in his mouth and suckled. "So beautiful," he whispered.
Beth lowered her hand to sift through his hair, finally opening her eyes to see his dark hair at her breast only made what was happening all the hotter.
Tyler sucked harder, tracing her nipple with his tongue, nipping her with his teeth, making her lose her mind with barely any effort. Her hands on his shoulders pulled him closer.
When he released her breast to trail his fingers down her stomach, he raised his head, watching her expression as his hand covered her panties and teased the swollen bud. She gasped. He tugged her panties until they slid down her legs and she kicked them off. Her thighs spread of their own volition and he slid one deliciously large finger inside to stroke her.
She jerked. "Oh God, Ty! Ohhhh..."
He toyed with her, torturing her and giving her a taste of what she wanted but not fulfilling any of her needs; he was only making her forget everything but the sensations running rampant in her body.
Her breath hissed when he suddenly took his hand away. "No, oh, what's wrong?" She was right on the edge, right on the brink, and he stopped. She tried to pull him back to her, but he held himself completely rigid.
"We're not taking this any father until you believe that I had no idea what Chase was planning."
What she believed was that they should discuss this afterwards. She wanted him right now, right here. "Okay, Ty, I believe you," she grunted.
He shook his head. "No, you don't."
Beth swallowed hard and looked deep into his eyes. He needed her assurance and she wasn't sure she could give that to him. She could lie, just to get what she wanted, but then what would that make her? "Okay, part of me doesn't believe you," she replied honestly.
His expression made her heart drop. He pushed away and stood.
Humiliation washed over her. She'd all but begged him to make love to her and he was going to walk away.
"I can't do this," he said, frustration lacing his voice. He adjusted himself and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Either we're together or we're not. I can't pretend I don't care that you don't trust me."
Beth sprang to her feet, pulled her blouse closed and crossed her arms to cover herself. Her face burned with humiliation, and her body ached and throbbed for the release he promised but denied her. "Get out of here," she choked.
Though he turned, he didn't make a move to leave. "Don't build it up in your head that I don't want you either. I want you more now than ever before, but it's all or nothing. I can't give you only the parts you want and keep the parts you don't to myself."
"I don't want any part of you." She lifted her chin in defiance. "What almost happened here, that was your last chance and you blew it. You said it's all or nothing? Fine, I choose nothing."
Tyler fiddled with his Stetson where it rested on his knee. He glanced at his brother. How could he look so comfortable and at ease in this office?
"Here you go Cord, black and strong just as you like it." Their attorney's secretary, SueAnn Richardson, brought in a tray of coffee. "I also baked these muffins this morning and thought you might want one." She beamed at Cord, and Tyler bit back a grin. Some things in Sweet Meadow never changed.
"Thanks, SueAnne, your lemon muffins are legendary." Cord smiled and took one off the platter.
The woman's entire face lit up. She handed one to Tyler but he waved her off with his hand. "No thanks, not good for my figure, you know." He winked to soften his rejection.
"Oh, go on, as if any of you Weston boys need to worry about your looks." She directed the last part to Cord.
A red flush crept up the back of his brother's neck.
"Jake's on his way," she continued. "He had to stop off at his Mama's place. She's having some 'issues', don't you know." Her voice had lowered as if confiding in them, but Tyler knew damn well SueAnne had probably told half the town already what 'issues' Jake's mother was having.
When she closed the door, he turned to his older brother. "If she was a puppy, her tail would be wagging and there'd be a puddle on the floor. That girl has it bad for you."
Cord shifted in his chair and set the rest of his muffin on the tray. "She's got it bad for any eligible guy over twenty and under eighty. Then again, I'm not so sure about the under eighty part. SueAnne's wanted a husband since she was five years old."
"She sure can bake." Ty nodded to the full plate of treats.
"Yep, and run her mouth, too. No thanks." Cord took a long drink of his coffee, grimaced and set it back on the tray. "Bake maybe, but she can't make coffee that's for dang sure." He picked up the rest of his muffin and took a bite. "Listen, let's talk a minute before Jake gets here."
Tyler frowned. They'd already discussed everything. "Talk about what?"
"You know. Chase's plan was for you to move back there, work under him some more, and take it over."
"Yeah, but things have changed."
Cord held his gaze. "I understand, but do you know things with you and Beth are going to work out? I'd hate to see you pass this by when it could just be the answer to what you've always wanted."
"I want Beth."
Cord twisted in his chair and faced him. He clasped his hands loosely and dangled them between his legs. "I'm going to be straight with you, and then you make up your own mind."
Tyler nodded. Here comes the fatherly lecture that Cord was famous for.
"You left home because you couldn't work under me or Buck anymore. You hated that we knew your business, all that you were about, and that we had no problem, as family, with voicing our opinion."
Tyler nodded. "Yeah."
"Nothing's changed, Ty. We're still the same annoying family you grew to resent. I have the responsibility of this family on my plate, I have a business to run, and I can't spend time molly-coddling you if you don't like a direct order or we hit heads on something."
Tyler knew he'd have a struggle if he had to turn to his brother for permission with everything he did, but he had an idea for a new horse project in partnership with Sara. He'd only mentioned it briefly to Cord so far but...
As if reading his mind, Cord added, "And the horse project with Sara hasn't even been brainstormed yet."
Was he going back on his promise to listen? Tyler focused on Beth and a life with her, but the old resentment surfaced.
Cord tipped his head. "Who writes the checks? What happens when you think we need a bigger facility or a purchase that I don't agree with? I know you, Ty. I know how hot-headed you get when you're told 'no'."
"I'm not five. It's not like I'm going to throw a temper tantrum." He impatiently brushed the dirt from the brim of his hat.
Brown eyes bore into his. "No, but you might take off."
Tyler glared back.
His brother raked a hand through his hair, a sure sign he had more to say and wasn't sure how best to do it. "I know you and Beth---"
"We're not your business."
Cord leveled him with a harsh glare. "Those girls are my business. I have an obligation to each of them and I won't let them down."
Tyler scoffed and rolled his eyes. "First of all, they're grown women. They don't need you to hover over them and make sure they eat their cereal each morning."
"You don't get it, do you? You really don't." Cord stood. "I thought maybe this past year away you'd grown up, but you're still the same wet behind the ears brat you were when you left."
Tyler stood and faced him, glaring down. "I'm not going to let her down."
"You already did, and, quite frankly, I think you will again. It's only a matter of time. What I'm saying is, you really should think about this position at the Circle S. It would solve all your problems. You'd be the boss with no one to answer to. Not to mention, you and Charli get on just fine; she doesn't want the control of the business and so would defer to you."
"I'm not leaving Beth."
Cord threw up his hands and walked to the window. "Maybe it's time you sat down with Beth and asked her what she wants. In my way of thinking, if she loves you like you say she does, then she could go with you." He turned around. "Maybe that's the solution, Ty; you and Beth both head out and have your own life away from us."
He shook his head. "She'll never leave Sweet Meadow, and I won't ask her to. She has her practice here."
"She's a damn good vet; she can start a practice there."
Tyler would love nothing more, but he wasn't about to ask Beth to do that.
A piece of him wondered if she would. Would she go with him, knowing how much this position would mean to him? In the time he'd been at the Circle S, he'd formed a bond with Chase. His former employer showed him respect, and they'd worked great together. He already knew everything there was to know about the spread. A couple times Chase had even gone out of town and he'd taken over, but only for a week or so, never longer than that. He admitted the offer was a good one but he couldn't put that choice on her shoulders. It wasn't fair.
The door opened and Jake walked in. The older man glanced at the two brothers and sighed. "Now what? You Westons are the most ornery, stubborn men I've ever met."
"Second only to you, huh, Jake?" Cord replied. "How's your Mama?"
The lawyer slipped his reading glasses on and sat behind his desk. "Driving me crazy, that's how she is. But I'm sure SueAnne filled you all in on that, so let's get down to business." He lifted the papers and then gazed at Tyler over the top. "You do realize that Chase intends for you to be in charge of all this?"
Tyler let his breath out. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But I'm not going to be. I'll help Cord and Chase find someone to oversee the property. If I need to, I'll fly out there a few times a year, maybe even once a month, but I'm not moving there."
Jake glanced at Cord, and Tyler's temper rose.
"I think Chase intended you to be on the property managing it. I don't know if the deal is going to be the same if you aren't there."
Tyler shook his head. "It's not like we asked for this. He wanted to know it was in good hands---his words. I'm not moving to Abilene."
Jake nodded and read through the papers, then slipped off his glasses and leaned back in his chair. "I gotta tell you, Tyler, as your attorney, this is a sweet deal. Adding this to the Double B holdings is going to be a tremendous amount of wealth down the road. Chase wants his daughter's future protected and he trusts you to do that. I would seriously think about this before turning it down flat."
Tyler glared at the other man. "I'm staying. I plan to make a life here with Beth."
Jake steepled his hands. "And what does Beth say about all this?"
"Beth has a thriving business here. She has patients, friends, and her family around her; she wants to settle here."
"And you? Do you like being surrounded by family? Folks you grew up with, known all your life; folks who have no problem knowing and/or getting into your business."
This again. "In a perfect world, maybe not," he replied honestly. "But I'm part of this family. Maybe you don't believe it, but in the time I was away I grew up. A lot. I learned what I want and what I don't want, and I'm ready to make this commitment." He turned to Cord. "I let you down once. I won't do it again. I have strong plans and ideas. I'll make this work and I'll make her happy. I promise."
Cord held his gaze and then put his hand out. "Okay." He grinned and nodded. "Okay, then."
Tyler clasped his brother's firm handshake.
Cord laughed and pulled Tyler into a quick hug and then turned to Jake. "Here's what we'll do. Tyler and I will head to Abilene in a few weeks, and we'll spend some time going through everything with Chase, and find out exactly what he needs. We'll review his current staff, see who's there. If no one makes sense to groom as an overseer, then we'll start the process of looking for someone. There's good men out there who would jump at this chance."
"You think Chase will go along with that?" Jake asked.
Cord nodded. "Yeah, I'll talk to him. I'll assure him it will be under our control. I'll fly out there if I have to every month. Hell, it's only an hour by helicopter."
Tyler raised one eyebrow. "Charli would certainly be more than happy to have you visit often."
Cord ran his hand around his reddening neck. He regained his composure and shook his head. "I need to talk to her, too. She's a brilliant chef who, for some reason, is wasting her talents sitting around her father's ranch."
That's his brother, making sure everyone lives up to their potential.
"Yeah, as if you need someone else to take responsibility for," Jake quipped.
Cord shrugged. "Chase and my father were friends and he's been good to us over the years. He's devoted his entire life to raising his daughter and building the business. For some reason, Chase is obsessed that he's going to die young like our father. He deserves to be able to spend some time fishing or doing whatever he wants to. He can't do that unless he knows we're taking care of things. He trusts us and we won't let him down."
"This was a great idea." Susan picked up the plates from the table and walked to rinse them. "It's so rare the three of us get to spend time together alone."
Beth cleared the condiments and put them in Sara's refrigerator.
"I can't believe it took us until now to find time." Sara pushed her chair back.
"Don't," Beth scolded.
"We've got this. Relax, would you?" Susan shook her head as she accepted the silverware Beth handed her.
"I'm so sick of everyone thinking I need to rest all the time," Sara groused, but pulled out another chair and settled her feet on it.
Her hands rested on her swollen stomach and Beth couldn't stop staring.
Sara caught her look. "It's amazing isn't it?"
Beth brought the tray of leftover Christmas cookies to the table. Going down on one knee, she put her hands on her sister's belly. As if on cue, the baby kicked, and she smiled up at Sara. "I never get tired of feeling that."
Her sister smirked. "Well I do---especially at three in the morning."
Beth bit her lip. "I can't help but wonder what Mama and Daddy would have thought."
Susan brought the cups over. "I think Daddy would have been beside himself with worry, and Mama would be acting the same way Flo does, as if it was the first baby born on earth."
She stood up. "How about the work Sam did on the cradle, did you see that? I mean, that thing's been through how many babies and it looks like it was just built yesterday."
Sara reached for a cookie. "Well, all I know is this was not the way I thought life was going to work out. Everyone thought it would be you getting pregnant first. Hell, this was the farthest thing on my radar."
Beth poured the hot tea that had been steeping and the cinnamon fragrance filled the room. "What does Flo always say? Something about the road of life never being straight?" She shook her head. "I don't know, something like that. But yeah, two years ago, I never would have thought things would be the way they are."
"What I wouldn't give for a cup of coffee," Sara complained, pulling the hot mug towards her.
"How are things with you and Tyler?" Susan sank to a chair. "That Christmas morning snow stunt was quite the romantic feat if you ask me."
Beth flashed back to the wonder of seeing all that white snow. It had been something she'd dreamed of and wished for her entire life. Riding in the wagon with him had been magical. The kiss he gave her afterward still curled her toes. She picked up her tea, took a sip of the too-hot liquid and winced. "To be honest, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster."
Susan and Sara exchanged a knowing glance.
Beth frowned. "What?"
"Teddy seems to think he had a big scoop." Susan lifted one eyebrow. "He said that you and Tyler decided to have 'a friends with benefits' type of relationship."
Beth's face flamed and she shifted in her chair. Her relationship, or whatever it was, wasn't anyone else's business. She bit her lip again. Then again, maybe her sisters could help---after all, who knew her better than these two? "Okay, I'm going to put something out here, and I don't want anyone passing judgment or whatever, just tell me what you think, understand?" She leaned forward and glanced fearfully at her pregnant sister. She knew Susan wouldn't judge, but Sara was far more conservative, more of a mother figure than she liked to believe.
Taking a fortifying drink, she hesitantly began her confession, "Tyler and I, well, things happened the night I lost Cole's horse and the foal. I was upset, he was there, it happened." She glanced at each of them, but neither seemed surprised. She lifted her hands in resignation. "Let me guess, that's old news around the family gossip chain, right?"
Sara shrugged.
Beth frowned. "Fine. Anyway, we both were confused about everything. Obviously when he left, I was devastated, broken-hearted, but what I didn't know ... was that he thought I had abandoned him too." She glanced outside, remembering the first time she read the note and the horrid ache of thinking how hurt he must have been when she didn't show up. "He left me a note, but I never read it, not until recently. In the note, he had asked me to meet him in Abilene that first September."
Susan leaned forward. "You never read his note? How could you not read it? I mean God, Beth, he left and you weren't even curious?"
She studied her mug instead of the accusations evident by her sister's tone. "I thought it was going to be lots of 'I'm sorry and don't hate me,' and all that. Frankly, I didn't want to hear it, so I shoved it in my desk drawer. As time went by, I thought of it but figured whatever he had to say was best left in the past." Leaning back, she pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Anyway, in the note he wanted me to join him at the Circle S at the end of the summer." She shrugged. "Obviously I didn't show."
Sara winced, one hand on her back as she shifted in her seat. "So, you were hurt that he left, and he was hurt that you didn't show up?"
Beth nodded. "Pretty much. Turns out, we were both to blame for what happened. I still believe he should have called me. I mean, I would have. Of course, I never would have left in the first place."
Susan reached across and touched Beth's hand. "Get back to the story."
She couldn't sit still and pushed her chair back to stand. To give her a minute to organize her thoughts, she grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "We both acknowledged that we have a hard time keeping our hands off each other. Since neither of us is with anyone else, we figured what's the harm in sleeping together as long as we both know it's only for the sex."
Sara snorted. "He said that to you? That he only wanted you for sex?"
Beth twisted off the top of the water. "No, that was my idea. I was trying to keep from getting hurt again. I thought I could live for the moment, have a fling, be like every other woman today."
Susan shook her head. "That works if it's not someone you have such a history with. Honestly, Beth, did you really think you could do that and keep your emotions out of it?"
She nodded. "Stupid, I know, but yeah, I really did."
Once again, she watched her sisters exchange a serious glance at each other as she slipped back into her chair. "Christmas Day, when Chase dropped that bombshell on everyone, I thought Tyler knew all about it. I thought that he was lying to get me back or sleep with him."
"How on earth does your brain work?" Susan sat back and crossed her arms over her ample chest. "Why would he do that when you just said it was your idea?"
"I know, I know." She set her bottled water on the table and reached for a cookie. "I don't know what I was thinking.... I don't know what to think. It's just.... this whole Circle S thing, that's a pretty big coincidence don't you think? That Chase wants him to run the whole ranch and Tyler claiming he knew nothing about it?
"According to Charli, even she didn't know anything about it." Sara bit into a gingerbread man. "Chase has been known to make rash decisions; at least that's what Daddy always said."
"So, you guys don't think he knew about it?"
Susan shook her head. 'I doubt it. I would be surprised, especially if Cord didn't know. It would have made sense if Chase had discussed it with Cord first, but he didn't. I know that for a fact because he told me outright."
"You and Cord having private meetings now?" Sara teased.
Susan reddened. "He was up late one night when I came in from a date. He's still pretty lathered up over Diane and was talking about going to go to Paris, can you believe that?" She shook her head. "I talked him out of it. Don't get me wrong, I hate this marriage of hers too, but she not twelve. This is her life and if that's what she wants..."
"Henri's slime," Sara bitched. "If I wasn't in this condition, I think I'd be tempted to go over there, too, and knock a little sense into that sister of ours. Mark my words, this is going to be bad. Something isn't right about her marrying this guy."
Susan waved her hand. "Oh, stop. Just because he's not from Texas doesn't make him a bad guy."
Sara raised one eyebrow, and Beth took a long drink of her water. "We'll just have to wait and see."
"Okay, back to you, Tyler, and sex." Susan pulled the plate of cookies away from Sara who glared. "Do you want to be as big as a house?"
Their round sister stuck her tongue out.
Beth chuckled and continued. "After brunch on Christmas, I was furious and he knew it. He followed me over to the clinic and tried to talk. We fought, then one thing led to another and pretty soon we were on the floor."
"And you decided the sex was too good to worry about being mad?" Susan urged, grinning from ear to ear.
"Yes, and no. He stopped. I mean at the worst possible time, he stops and says, "We're not taking this any father until you believe that I had no idea what Chase was planning."
Beth swallowed, remembering the hurt that filled his eyes when she couldn't answer honestly. Shame flooded her with the memory of how much she wanted him that day and that he walked away.
"I didn't believe him, so he said he didn't want this arrangement anymore; that it was all or nothing for him. I told him I chose nothing then, and he left." She drew a deep breath. "I haven't spoken to him since." She was shaking as she finished and couldn't look at either of her sisters. She was embarrassed, but also confused. When they didn't say anything, she glanced from one to the other. "Was I wrong? I mean, I didn't believe him. Maybe I do now since you guys seem to think he wouldn't know, but ... I didn't believe him at that moment."
"If all you wanted was a sexual relationship, why did it even matter about all that?" Sara asked.
"Yeah. You just wanted him for sex, and you said yourself that you wouldn't get involved emotionally because you thought he might leave again." Susan waved a dismissive hand. "Seems to me like you made a huge issue out of something that, frankly, wasn't even your business."
Beth's mouth dropped open and her heart pounded. "How can you say it isn't my business? It is my business when he's been telling me he's moving home for good. When he's telling me that he doesn't want to be on the Circle S and he wants me and..."
"Right. He's been saying all that, but you've been saying you don't want him back or believe him. Why the heck shouldn't he agree to have sex with you if that's the best you're going to offer?" Susan rolled her eyes. "First of all, come on, he's a guy. Second, he probably thinks if he gets you back with him that way, he can eventually win your heart again."
Susan stood up, crossed the room and picked up two wrapped packages off the counter. She brought them back to the table.
"Look kid, you love him, plain and simple or you wouldn't be so worked up over all of this." Sara leaned her elbows on the table. "You've always loved him and he loves you. The rest is simply details. I think you should go to him and tell him you want to take it one day at a time, but that you're ready and willing to put the past behind you and start fresh. Today. Put away what happened when you were kids or what happened two years ago, and you each admit you both made a mistake. Be a grown up, Beth. Have a mature relationship with this guy who, for all his faults, worships the very ground you walk on, and as an added bonus, gets you hot."
Beth stared with an awed grin at her older sister. Never in her life had she strung so many words together, or in such a well, almost flowery manner.
Susan seemed just as shocked. Then she laughed. "Wow, when did you turn into Diane?"
Sara reddened. "It's not just Beth who had to grow up the past few years. I almost lost Buck because of my pride." Her eyes welled and she brushed at them with an impatient hand. "Don't make that mistake."
"Okay, so say I take him back? How about this Circle S deal, what about that?" Beth swallowed hard, although her heart was hopeful that maybe her sisters were right. Maybe there was still a chance with Tyler. And Sara was right---she loved him, always had, always would.
Sara shrugged. "This ranch is everything to me, but if Buck said to me tomorrow, 'I'm moving to Alaska because that's where I need to be', well, I'd be having a papoose right now instead of a baby."
Susan and Beth both eyed her skeptically, and then burst out laughing.
"You're full of crap," Beth said.
Sara grinned. "Okay, bad analogy, I'm not moving to Alaska. But you get my point. You need to figure out what you want more: being a vet here at home or being a vet and with Tyler, wherever he needs to be."
Beth held her gaze. She was right. She was absolutely right. Had her pride blinded her to something so simple?
Susan smiled and handed them each a flat package. "On a lighter note, I wanted to give you this for Christmas but they didn't come in time." Her blue eyes sparkled and she looked as if she was going to bust out of her seat, she was so excited. "Open them!"
Feeling suddenly lighter and even a bit giddy, Beth picked up the package and gingerly peeled back a corner of the wrapping.
Sara ripped into hers. "This is fantastic," her older sister cried out.
Beth glanced up and saw the music CD her sister held. She quickly finished opening hers. Susan's picture on the cover was beautiful---more so for it's simplicity. Unlike her usual sexy pose and gorgeous evening gowns, the cover reflected her sister barefoot and dressed in jeans and a soft sweater.
"It's a collection of lullabies. Open it up." Susan hurried out of her chair and picked a sharp knife off the table. Grabbing the CD from Beth she slit the cellophane and handed it back to her then did the same for Sara.
Beth opened the plastic cover. She pulled out the pamphlet of songs inside. Her eyes filled as she noticed the dedication and she glanced at Sara. "Listen," she commanded. "To my brand new baby niece or nephew, I love you and you're not even here yet. This is for you. Love, your Aunt Sues."
Tears streamed down Sara's face and Beth started to cry too. Susan stood up and moved behind Sara's chair to wrap her arms around her shoulders. "I was so mad when it didn't come in time for Christmas, but this seemed like a more perfect time." She sniffled and straightened.
"Aunt Sues?" Sara wrinkled her nose, reading the pamphlet herself.
She shrugged. "I hate Susie, and Susan is too stuffy. I decided I liked Sues. Auntie Sues."
Beth read the selections. Most were traditional lullabies, but a few she didn't recognize. "Did you write some new stuff for this?"
"Yep, I didn't even know I could write something like that. I woke up one night to this melody flowing through my head. I took out the guitar and put it on paper." She turned around and leaned back against the counter. "After that, a few more came, and I thought, hmm this could be pretty cool."
"Thank you." Sara said, sniffling.
"Somehow I think giving birth to a CD is a lot easier than what you're going to go through."
"It won't be any big deal. How much worse can it be than being kicked by a horse?"
Beth raised one eyebrow. "It's a different kind of pain."
Sara rubbed her stomach. "I'll just be happy when he or she is finally here."
Susan hugged her sister. "I'm glad that it all worked out so I had this time off in between shows so I could be home until the baby gets here."
Sara awkwardly pushed to her feet. "I gotta pee," she announced and walked through the kitchen to the small bathroom off the laundry room.
Beth put a piece of foil over the remainder of the cookies. "This was great, Susan, but I gotta get back to the clinic. The paperwork is piling up." She shook her head. "Neither of us is very good at office work."
"You know, I'd love to help out if I wasn't already committed to the community theatre. They have a show tonight."
Beth shrugged. "On New Year's Eve? I thought you were singing with Teddy tonight?"
"I am, but that's not until after nine. I told the cast I'd be there for the dinner show and then I'd have to scoot out."
"You amaze me. Don't you ever get tired?"
The back door flew opened. Buck stomped in and swept his hat from his head. "Wow, look at the beauties in my kitchen." He wiggled his eyebrows and rubbed his hands together. "Okay, it's been a while since I had a threesome, but I'll try to keep up."
Susan walked across the room and patted his cheek. "Your wife would cut off your private parts, sauté them in garlic, and force feed them to you."
Buck winced and shifted his feet. "Where is the love of my life?"
"In the bathroom." Beth reached past him for her coat on the hook. "Are you guys going to finish getting the fencing done on that corral?"
Buck lifted the foil on the cookies and grabbed one. "It's done. You now have two smaller corrals both inside and out."
Beth smiled. "Thank you. That's perfect. Have you, um, seen Tyler anywhere today?"
"Yeah, he was helping us, but I don't know where he is now. Maybe taking a shower."
Sara walked back into the room and Beth watched as her sister's green eyes glowed when she spotted her husband. Buck's did the same as he closed the space between them and leaned down to kiss her lips. "Hmm, better than sugar cookies."
"Look what Susan did," Sara crossed the room and picked up the CD to show to him.
"I gotta go," Beth said, heading to the door. "I'll give you a call tomorrow." She waved to Sara and turned to Susan. "I'll probably see you at the LoneStar later."
"Sounds good."
Beth hurried to the truck and climbed inside. For some reason, she had this strong urge to see Tyler. Her sister's were right; she needed to just let things happen as they should without worrying so much about what it all meant, or the past, or even the future.
Tyler strolled through the LoneStar amazed at how many people fit into the bar. The pool tables were pushed away, the dart boards were removed and the dance floor was widened out of necessity. It was New Year's Eve and everyone wanted to be on the floor, not sitting and watching.
He grabbed a beer and leaned against a pole to watch his brother's band work themselves up to a particularly rousing tune. When it ended, he clapped with the rest of the room as Susan joined Teddy on stage. She was dressed to the nines in a long black evening gown and heels so high it seemed impossible she could even walk on them.
Susan wrapped her hands around the microphone and belted out a bluesy number that impressed the heck out of him. Sometimes he forgot she was a hell of a singer and actress.
Drinking his beer, Ty was astonished as always at how Susan and his brother could perform together and convince the audience they got along. They sang duets as if they were lovers. Their bodies moved as if they were one. But it was all a show: Teddy thought Susan was the biggest phony on the planet, and she thought the singing cowboy was an idiot. It was testament to their professional abilities that they could perform together as if they adored each other.
Across the room, he heard someone call Beth's name. A jolt of heat went through his body. Ever since Christmas, he'd steered clear of her. Not that it was difficult, she hadn't exactly been around. He wanted to talk to her, but what could he say? They had reached a point where he wanted more than she was willing to give. He had two options: he could wait it out until she realized he wasn't going anywhere and give him another chance, or he could ... well, there really wasn't any other option. That was the only choice. Give her a bit of space and wait it out.
If Beth didn't want him back, didn't trust him enough to try again, then he'd have to face that fact eventually. He hoped he wouldn't have to. Even if she didn't believe in them, he did.
He turned towards the doorway and his mouth went dry. Beth stood there in a red dress, his favorite color. The neckline, held up by thin gold chains, dipped low on her chest. Each step she took revealed a flash of leg all the way to her thigh. She walked straight to him, holding his gaze as her hips swayed.
Tyler straightened and pushed away from where he'd been leaning against the post. Her hair framed her face and her bright blue eyes were beautifully huge. She looked like a woman who'd spent a considerable amount of time to look smoking hot. Gut wrenching need slammed through him, and he couldn't see or hear anything except her.
He didn't move towards her, choosing to enjoy the visual instead. When she finally reached the spot on the floor directly in front of him, the smile she gave from under her lashes was smoking hot, too.
"Hey, cowboy." Her voice was soft and sultry.
Tyler cleared his throat. "Hey, yourself."
She wet her lips and his attention honed in on her moist red mouth.
His tongue dried right up, but he managed to squeak out, "You look amazing."
"It's New Year's Eve. I was in the mood to celebrate."
His gaze lowered to the creamy swell of her breasts. The red silk of her neckline rested on them, giving only a teasing glimpse. "I love red," he said huskily.
"I know you do." She tossed her head. "Dance with me?"
He had no idea what had come over her, but he wasn't going to question the look in her eye. She took his hand, and he set his beer down to follow her to dance floor. She settled against him as she had all their life. His body sprang to hard arousal when she brushed her thighs against his. She tipped her head back and laughed.
Tyler held her gaze. "You take my breath away," he whispered.
She shifted in his arms and thread her fingers through his hair. "I expect you to return the favor before the night's over."
Tyler wasn't sure how to respond to that. He pulled her closer and danced her around the floor, grasping the moment---and her---with both hands holding on tight.
When the music ended, they broke apart and clapped as Teddy approach the microphone on stage. "Thanks, folks. We'll be taking a short break. But don't worry, we'll be here all night to help you usher in the New Year."
"I'm going to freshen up," Beth said, indicating the ladies room.
"I'll get us a drink." Tyler turned away but Beth touched his arm. He looked back, and she reached up to frame his face in her hands. She went up on tiptoe and he leaned down, their lips meeting briefly before she slipped away. At that moment, he didn't care what had gotten into her, he just hoped that it stayed.
Grinning devilishly, Beth finished in the ladies room and stepped back into the bar area. Not too far in front, seated at a table by himself, was Cole. Her smile faltered. He wasn't looking her way so she could have slipped past him without a word, but that didn't feel right.
Taking the few steps to stand next to him, she set her hand on his shoulder. He jerked and stared up at her. "Hi," she said softly.
He stood. "Hi. Happy New Year."
Beth hugged him and winced when he hugged her back, hard.
He released her to grab hold of her hand. "It's packed in here tonight."
Hand still in his, she slipped into the chair across from him. A prickle of unease raced up her spine; Tyler must have seen her by now and was probably watching. The last thing she needed was him to think she was coming on to Cole when she'd planned tonight to be all about Tyler.
Still, she couldn't just walk past the other man without saying something. "Yeah, it's really hopping."
"You look beautiful." Cole stared into her eyes
Beth lowered her gaze and pulled her hand back. "I don't know what to say to you. I feel like..."
"Don't, okay? You don't have to say anything." He shook his head. "Look, I know you never felt, well, what I felt for you. I knew that going in. If I got hurt, it's my own problem. You did nothing wrong."
She frowned and tipped her head. "Why do I feel so rotten about this, then? I mean, you were---are---such a good friend and..."
Cole leaned back in his chair and fiddled with the label on his beer bottle. "I just want to know you're happy, that's all."
Beth ducked her head. She hoped to be before the end of the night. Returning Cole's gaze she nodded. "I'm taking things one day at a time."
She reached over and covered his hand again just as a tall brunette she'd never seen before appeared next to the table.
Cole smiled as he stood. "Beth, this is Ginny."
Beth stood and held out her hand. "Hello. Sorry, am I in your chair?"
The other woman glanced from Beth to Cole and back again, but her smile was warm when she said, "Not a problem. Will you join us?"
Beth saw the grin on Cole's face directed at Ginny, not her, and gave a small laugh. "Uh, no. Thank you, but no. I'm with someone."
"Ginny's staying at the ranch for a few days. Doc met her parents on one of the cruises and invited them all to spend New Year's with us."
Beth nodded. "Ah, I see. So Doc's still in town?"
"Yeah, he---they---are all leaving day after tomorrow."
"I'll try to give him a call before he leaves, but if I don't see him, please give him my best."
She stared back at Cole wondering why she had this pang in her heart. Was she jealous that Cole had already replaced her? Wow. How spiteful am I? She smiled at both of them. "Happy New Year."
He squeezed her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "You too, Beth. I'm sure I'll see you next week."
She nodded to the other woman who had already slipped into the chair she'd vacated. "Have a nice visit to Sweet Meadow, Ginny."
"Thank you. Nice meeting you."
Beth gave a small wave and headed towards Tyler.
"Everything okay?" he asked, handing her a drink.
She nodded and sipped the rum and coke. "Yeah." Tilting her head, she smiled. Whatever next year held for the two of them, she wasn't going to worry about it. She was ready to live for today. Tonight, Tyler wasn't going to walk away from her.
"Buck called."
Her head jerked up. Was something wrong with Sara? "Is something wrong?"
"No, they're fine," he assured her with a knowing grin. "He just said Sara's really tired---and annoyed that it was New Year's Eve and they weren't going out. He's trying to keep her entertained."
"We should take them a plate of Bill's ribs on the way home."
"I asked him if he wanted me to, but he said they'd probably be asleep right after midnight."
"I was there this afternoon, and she did look tired. How weird is that, the two of them home on New Year's Eve?"
Tyler grinned. "I never thought I'd see the day. They used to help Bill clean up and then go out for breakfast with him and keep on going after that."
"Isn't it weird how life turned out? I mean, did you ever think Sara would be the one who had the first baby? Or the two of them would be married? And how about Diane? Living in Paris, married to some French guy." Beth wrinkled her brow, thinking about how much had changed in two short years.
Tyler shifted his feet. "You didn't say anything about us? Did you ever imagine that we'd be the way we are?"
Beth wet her lips and set her drink on the bar. She covered Tyler's hand with her own. "Let's not talk about the past tonight. I want to be here with you, right now." She tossed her head and gave him what she hoped was a sexy smile. "Pretend we've only just met or that we've been dating a short time and it's our first New Year's Eve. What would you be thinking about?"
Tyler linked their fingers together and tugged her closer. "I'd be thinking that you look sexy as hell, and every guy in this room hates my guts because you're with me." He pulled her even closer and slipped an arm around her waist to bring her up against him. "I'd be wondering if I was going to get a kiss at midnight."
Beth traced her finger down his cheek and across his bottom lip. "A kiss? Is that all you'd be hoping for?"
Tyler's lips parted and he kissed the tip of her finger. "Well, I guess that would entirely depend on the lady. I mean, it would be rude for me to hope for anything more if we'd only just met."
Beth smiled. "Let's make this a bit easier then, this is our fourth or fifth date, and up until tonight, we've only indulged in some serious kissing."
Tyler pulled her hand from his face and kissed the middle of her palm. He gazed up over her fingers, his brown eyes dark and intense. "Dance with me."
The thought of being held in his arms again on the dance floor and being pressed against him as they moved sent a shiver down her spine. "Yeah," she whispered, already following him.
Susan sang a country song about cheaters and lovers and broken hearts as Beth wrapped her arms around Tyler's neck and leaned into him. His hands were low around her waist and his fingers brushed her rear end. Head tucked against his chest, they didn't speak.
With every brush of his thighs, the hardness of his erection pressed into her body, making her aware of every inch of her partner. She closed her eyes and focused on how good it was to let go of her resentment and anger and enjoy being with Tyler again. She wet her dry lips and lifted her head. Tyler immediately crushed them with his own.
She threaded her fingers into his hair and pulled his head even closer to her, responding without holding anything back. Her breasts tingled beneath her thin dress. She pressed into him and twisted to rub them against his chest. Tyler growled, his large hands sliding down to cup her rear end and lift her inches off the floor.
The song ended and they broke their kiss, Beth slid down his body until her feet hit the hardwood floor. Her entire body was on fire, from the warmth of the room, to the embers he ignited inside her. The next song was a much faster beat and Tyler took her hand and spun her around into the excited pace. Beth got into the rhythm, swaying her hips and shimmying in time to the music. She danced close to him and then pulled back as he reached for her. Laughing, she enjoyed herself in a way she hadn't in a very long time.
After several more fast paced songs, the music slowed once more, but before she could feel his arms wrapped around her again, Tyler grabbed her hand and pulled her off the floor and through the door to the back patio. A few couples were enjoying the fresh air and in some cases, each other, so they moved to the shadowed farther end.
The cool air on her hot skin was a welcome relief and she fanned her face. Leaning against the wooden railing, she braced both arms behind her, knowing it jutted her chest forward. It didn't escape Tyler's notice. Tossing her head, she glanced up innocently. "So, Cowboy, what do you think?"
He lifted his eyes from her chest, slowly. "About what?" He moved closer and rested his elbow on the same railing.
His body half turned towards, she watched him stare again at her cleavage. "Everything. The night, the band ... the company?"
Tyler lifted one eyebrow. "I'm thinking that one more dance and I'm not going to be responsible for what I might do to you."
Beth shifted until she faced him and slid both hands up his chest to toy with the collar of his shirt. "What do you want to do to me?"
He slipped his arms around her waist, leaned back against the railing and brought her into the circle of his thighs. "Feel that?"
Beth pressed into him. "Is that for me?"
"Always." Tyler cupped her face in his hands and tipped her head back. He slanted his mouth over hers, gently brushing her lips. He wet his lips and teased the seam of hers. Beth sighed and met his kiss with her own. She tugged at his shirt and brought him down to her as she arched closer.
Fireworks went off in the back of her mind and lights flashed behind her eyes. She'd forgotten how hot a kiss could be, how incredibly aroused she could get from making out with Tyler. For so many years, they'd made love and had wild passionate sex, but it'd been years since they indulged in some good, old-fashioned, melt-your-bones kisses. When he broke off and buried his face in her neck, holding her tight against his body, they were both having trouble catching their breath.
"It's not very private out here, Angel," he whispered against her neck, before pulling her ear lobe into his hot mouth.
"Ahh," Beth moaned as his lips sent spirals of desire racing up and down her spine. Between her legs, warmth pooled and her nipples itched to be touched.
He kissed his way down her neck to her shoulder and over to the pulse point near the base of her throat.
Beth wiggled against him. "Where's your truck?"
Tyler pulled back, his eyes widened in mock shock. "My truck? Why would you want to know where my truck is parked?"
She trailed her hands down to his chest once more and teased the button on his dress shirt. Looking up from under her lashes, she wet her lips. "I was thinking it might be a more private place to.... talk."
Tyler raised his hand to stroke her hair and tuck it behind her ear. He caressed her cheek and brushed his thumb over her swollen mouth. Beth opened her lips and drew his thumb inside and suckled. His harsh intake of breath encouraged her and she slid her tongue around the tip of his thumb, looking up at him with hunger in her eyes. She released him and pressed her breasts into his chest.
He cleared his throat and, in one fluid movement, pushed away from the railing with her hand in his, headed towards the steps leading to the ground. Beth laughed at his rush and hurried to keep up with him. When she reached the stairs, Tyler simply reached up and plucked her down.
They walked around the building, wincing at the glare of the lights in the parking lot. "I'm way in the back," was all he said as he held tight and led her through the people coming in and the vehicles parked everywhere.
Tyler unlocked the door to his truck and held the passenger side open. The look in Beth's eyes told him she wasn't changing her mind. He had no idea what had come over her tonight, but he liked it.
He helped her in, but before he could close the door, she turned in the seat and grabbed him. Kissing him hard she pressed her body against him. The slippery material of her dress slid under his hands and he wanted desperately to touch her skin. But they were still way too close to the bar, and he wasn't going to fool around with her here where they could be interrupted.
He took her arms from around his neck. "You impatient hussy," he teased.
"You love it and you know it," she bantered, and swung her legs inside the truck.
Tyler closed the door. Nope, no clue what had gotten into her, but he was not questioning this. It felt too damn good to have fun with her again. When she'd danced and her eyes sparkled, she was the old Beth he'd loved and lost and just maybe had found again. Whatever he had to do from this point on to keep her this way, he was going to do.
He ran around to the driver's side and climbed in. Starting the truck, he turned to find her smiling at him.
"Where are we going?"
Tyler slid his arm along the seat and turned to face her. "I've got something I want to show you."
She smoothed the material of her dress on her knees. "I hope it's good," she sassed.
"I'll do my best," he promised, and pulled the truck out of the parking lot. For several minutes they drove in silence. What was she thinking? She wasn't changing her mind was she? He was enjoying this little pretend game, especially if she meant what she said and wanted to focus on the future and not the past. His conscience pricked, reminding him that she didn't trust him. He pushed the thought back. If Beth wanted to focus on right now and pretend they were on a date like any other couple, then that's what he would do.
Next to him, he felt her slip out of her seat belt and slide across the seat. He glanced over as she settled against him, resting her hand on his thigh. His blood pressure skyrocketed.
Beth had always loved to tease him while he drove. She thought it was the funniest thing in the world to torment him until he was forced to pull over. He hardened instantly, knowing what her next move was going to be. Sure enough, it was only a short few second later that her hand slid to the inside of his thigh and then covered his straining zipper.
"Behave," he cautioned, and brushed her hand away.
"I'm not doing anything," she lied.
Her fingers slipped the button on his khaki pants open and he caught his breath as she slid his zipper down. Her hands in his boxers were warm and soft. "Beth," he warned, but it was a half-hearted complaint. She squeezed and pleasure shot through him until it became difficult to concentrate on driving. He took one hand off the wheel and searched for her legs. Slipping his hand under the edge of her dress, he teased the softness of her knees and caressed the skin of her inner thighs.
She hissed as he covered her damp panties, his fingers stroking across the moistness.
"Ty..." she moaned.
"I'm not doing anything," he lied as he slid his finger beneath the elastic of her panties.
Miraculously, he spied the turnoff he'd been hoping for and turned the truck up the deserted road, or at least he hoped it was still deserted. Beth sat up straight and removed her hand from his lap. He put both hands on the wheel again and maneuvered the truck off the road and out of view.
"Where are we?"
"Just an empty road that doesn't go anywhere anymore."
She scooted back across the seat. "I don't know if it's safe to be out here alone with you, maybe we should go back to the bar." She glanced up from under her lashes, her mouth curving into a sexy grin.
"Too late, babe, you teased me and tortured me all the way here. Don't tell me you're one of those girls who promises a guy everything and then says no?"
He reached for her, but the steering wheel got in his way. She giggled and he climbed out and jogged awkwardly around the front of the truck. He had a hard time walking because his pants were open, but he managed to open the passenger door. She turned around in the seat until her legs dangled off the side.
"You love playing games with me when I'm driving and can't stop you, don't you?" He slipped her shoes off her feet and tossed them to the floor of the truck then moved in closer. He wanted to see her naked, wanted her screaming his name on the night wind. He caressed her bare knees pushing the fabric of her dress up higher past her thighs. He stroked her soft skin and thumbed the hot moisture between her legs.
Beth whimpered and reached for him. "I didn't know that bothered you when I touched you when you drove."
"It does far more than bother me," he growled.
The top to her dress seemed to be held up by two tiny clasps on the gold chains. He flipped them open, and the bodice fell to her waist, baring her breasts to the night air and his avid attention. Her nipples were rosy and puckered and he weighted them in his hands, brushing his thumbs across the erect peaks. Beth squirmed in his hands and he dropped a kiss on her lips.
"What's wrong, Angel? Don't you like that?
She arched, encouraging him, and he squeezed both in his palms, making her cry out with pleasure. He rolled her nipples between his thumb and fingers and gently tugged as she moaned.
"Ty, please," she begged.
"Hmm, I don't know. This is only, what ... our fifth date? Do we go that far on date five? Are you that kind of girl?" he mused. He wet his finger and stroked her nipple once more.
She jerked in response and groaned again. "Only with you. I mean you are so strong and handsome, and you've swept me off my feet. All my convictions have gone right out of my head."
He lowered his head and lifted one soft mound to his mouth. "I wouldn't want you to ruin your reputation with a cowboy like me." When he laid his tongue across the erect peak, she gasped.
"It's fine, I don't mind. It feels so good, and I want you sooo bad."
Tyler took her nipple between his lips and suckled. She grabbed his head with both hands and fisted her fingers into his hair. He winced, but continued to feast on first one and then the other breast. Beth's breathing was rapid and she arched and wiggled and cried out as he caressed and kissed her. Every erotic sound she made spurred him on, and he shoved his hand up her dress, pulled her panties off, and tossed them outside.
"Oh, those were new," she protested.
He lifted his head. "Should I stop?" His fingers brushed the curly hair between her thighs and teased the swollen bud.
Beth shook her head furiously. "No, no it's fine. I can buy another pair." Her eyes rolled back in her head as he slid his finger inside and pressed. "Ohhhh," she moaned.
When he stopped and stepped back for a second, her eyes flew open, but the worried gaze soon left when she realized he was shoving his pants down. Beth shimmied to the edge of the seat, wrapped her legs around his waist. He held her gaze as he shoved inside her. Her arms clung to his neck and her legs clamped tighter, drawing him closer. Thank God he'd removed her heels.
"There goes your reputation," he grunted as he pumped into her.
She bucked against him, meeting him stroke for stroke. "What fun is a reputation anyway," she gasped and cried out. "This is ... ahhhh..."
Whatever she was going to say was lost as her body jerked and trembled in his arms. Her fingers dug hard into his shoulders. Tyler closed his eyes, focusing hard on joining her and within seconds, his body exploded. He called out her name and pounded harder into her as her body jerked against him.
He held her tight while she trembled and buried his face in her neck. His heart pounded and his breathing was erratic but he needed to say what was in his heart.. "I love you, Angel," he whispered.
She stiffened and he instantly felt like a fool. This was supposed to be casual, and he'd ruined it. Regret swept through him as she leaned back. But the teasing glint in her eyes was far from the anger he expected.
"You don't have to say that just because you jumped me on the fifth date."
He smiled as relief flooded through him. He kissed her again, long and hard before extricating himself from her. He kissed her neck and nibbled at her ear lobe. She murmured and arched her neck. Between them, he could feel her pull her dress down to cover herself and he leaned back. Gently he lifted the bodice of her dress and reattached the tiny clips then bent to pull up his jeans.
Beth raked a hand through her hair and looked around. "Where's my underwear?"
Tyler glanced behind him and spotted the scrap of red lace on the ground. He picked them up, dangled them in front of her and proceeded to shove them in his pocket.
"Hey!" She smacked him on the chest. "Give me those."
He shook his head. "No way, that's my souvenir. I think I'll show all the guys down at the bar what I got for New Year's."
She narrowed her eyes. "Give me those panties." But her voice was full of laughter as she lunged for him
"Careful, you're going to get hurt." He pushed her gently back into the truck and closed the door. Settled behind the driver's side, he made sure the panties were in the pocket she couldn't reach.
"I can't go back to the party with nothing on under this dress." She yanked at the short skirt.
"Sure you can, and only I'll know that under that skirt you're completely naked." The thought alone made him hard again. He started the engine but she put her hand on his thigh.
"I don't want to go back to the party."
He frowned. "Where do you want to go?"
She walked her fingers along his thigh. "Well, cowboy. My folks are gone for the night, and we have this amazing hot tub." She blinked at him from under her lashes.
Tyler leaned over and kissed her hard. "A hot tub, huh? But, I don't have a suit."
Beth pulled his arm around her shoulders and snuggled next to him. "You don't need one."
He grinned and put the truck in gear. "This is one hell of a fifth date. I wonder what will happen on the sixth."
Beth dragged her tired body up the porch steps of the clinic. She'd worked all night but it was worth it; her patient was much improved this morning. The small rancher, who didn't have the funds to replace his stock, was grateful too. His wife even insisted on having her shower and stay for breakfast. Beth had been grateful, but what she really wanted was to get home to her own bed. A glance at her watch revealed it was close to noon.
With heavy arms, she pushed opened the door and squealed.
Grant Clark stood just inside, his hands on his hips and a huge grin on his face. Beth dropped the bag in her hands and raced across the small reception area. He opened his arms and caught her up against him.
After he hugged her close and dropped her to her feet, Beth stepped back. "You still have all your limbs, and you don't look half bad. The visit with your folks couldn't have been too terrible."
Grant's lip curled in distaste. "My mother is a saint, that's all I'll say. To put up with my father and my older sister, I don't know how she does it day in and day out."
Beth picked up the duffle bag of supplies she'd dropped. "We don't have anything right now; why don't we get lunch and catch up."
Grant followed her down the hall to the office where she plopped the bag on a chair inside the door. She grimaced as she spied the piles of papers. "Uh, I didn't make a lot of headway on the files these past two weeks."
"I saw that. I can't say anything, though. You were running things here by yourself and I'm grateful. I know it was tough."
Beth turned towards her partner. His dark blonde hair that tended to curl at the ends needed a trim, but that was about it. His tan made her think he must have been working outside the whole time. All in all though, he seemed no worse off for his visit home.
She moved across the room and hugged him again. "Welcome home, partner. I've missed you."
He squeezed tight for a few extra seconds, just long enough to concern her, but when he leaned back and smiled down, his expression revealed the same old Grant.
"I've been thinking about you," he said. "How's things with---"
Before he could finish, a door slammed out front and Tyler's voice boomed across the room. "Hey, babe. I promise I won't stay. I know you're beat, but Flo sent..." His head poked into the office where she still stood in the circle of Grant's arms.
Tyler's brows rose at the same time Grant dropped his arms and stiffened.
Beth crossed the room to take the plated dish Tyler had in his hands. He held on to it.
"Thanks, Ty. You remember Grant Clark, right?"
Both men nodded.
"Clark."
"Weston."
Beth rolled her eyes. "That was warm and cheerful. Look you guys, you can both paw the ground and charge if you want, but I'm hungry and tired." She shot a warning glance to Tyler and then turned to Grant. "Give me twenty minutes to change, and we'll head out to grab that lunch."
Reluctantly, he took his gaze off Tyler and nodded. "Okay, I've got to unpack yet, too. Maybe I'll get on that."
Good idea. Beth took Tyler by the arm and pulled him away from the doorway as Grant walked through and headed down the back hall to cross over to the cottage.
Tyler leaned over and kissed her hard, moving towards the wall, but she planted her hand in the middle of his chest and held him in check. "Settle down, cowboy." He jerked his head towards the door. "When did he get back?"
Beth headed down the hall to the kitchenette and put the plate in the refrigerator. "Sometime during the night, obviously."
Squaring her shoulders, she turned to face him. "Grant and I are going to go to town and grab some lunch. There's some supplies that I need to get, too, and then we're going to probably be here working until at least dinner, if not after."
Tyler shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression bland. "In other words, you're giving me fair warning that you won't be able to see me today."
Beth planted her hands on her hips ready for the fight that always came. "Yep."
He stepped closer and cupped her face in his hands. "Then I'll see you when you can."
He kissed her, but when she lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck, he stepped back. "Dr. Sampson, if you're free on Saturday night, perhaps you'd accompany me to the local honky tonk for some cold beverages and a two step?"
He wasn't mad that she was going to lunch with Grant? Or that she had a lot of work to do? This definitely was a new Tyler.
Beth grinned. "I do believe, Mr. Weston, that my calendar is free this Saturday night."
"Okay then. Just remember, that will be date number six and you know what happens on date number six."
Her eyes widened and her cheeks burned remembering date number five. She lifted her hand to her chest and swallowed hard, her body already leaping in response to his teasing. She wet her dry lips. "What happens on date number six?"
He winked. "Don't stand me up and you'll find out." He walked out of the kitchen, but then stuck his head back in. "Of course, if you can't wait until Saturday to find out, you know my number." She laughed, and her mind went back to New Year 's Eve and the hot tub soak they'd shared. Oh yeah, she might not be able to wait until Saturday for a repeat performance. This new relationship with Tyler was so ... freeing. No pressure, no fights, just being in the moment.
Grant appeared in the doorway a few moments later. "You ready?"
Beth jerked her gaze up to meet his. The cool anger reflected in his brown eyes made her buoyant heart crash back to reality. Forcing a bright smile, she grabbed her purse from the desk drawer.
"How about the Inn?"
Grant didn't move out of the doorway, forcing her to stop in front of him. His broad shoulders and bulging upper arm muscles were such a contrast to his studious looking glasses and polished doctor look he tried to maintain. As he studied her, she read displeasure, anger, and disgust all at once in his eyes.
She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. "Are you going to do this here or at lunch?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Do what?"
Beth lifted her hand and waved it in the air. "Lecture me, yell at me, punish me, all the things you're dying to do right now."
Stepping back into the room, she leaned her backside against the desk, dropped her purse to the floor, crossed her arms over her chest, and held Grant's glare. After several silent seconds, she uncrossed her arms and picked up her purse. Walking back in front of him, she pushed one hand against his chest to move him out of her way. "I'm so glad we had this conversation. I feel so much better. Now, can we go eat?" She brushed past and headed down the hall. She didn't stop when she reached the door to the clinic, choosing to proceed on out into the sunshine.
Finally, when she reached the front porch steps, she heard him close the door quietly behind them. Without a word, they walked to his truck. He climbed into the driver's side while she slipped into the passenger side and let her breath out on a sigh.
The CD that jumped to life was one she'd given him for Christmas, and she leaned over to turn it up, then brushed her hair back behind her ear and faced him. "Do you like it?"
Grant's forearm rested on the open window ledge. He nodded and glanced towards her. "It's good. One of his best yet, I think."
"Did I ever tell you the story of the time Sara and our friend Charli went backstage and ended up on Toby's tour bus?" She forced a laugh, hoping to lighten up the tension in the truck. "Evidently, they partied with the band until early the next morning. I still don't think even Buck ever got the whole story about what went on that night."
"This was before Buck and Sara were married?"
"Yeah. Actually, it was the week they went to Houston and---" She waved her hand. "Never mind. It's a long story and much funnier when Charli tells it. She was here for Christmas with her father."
"Yeah, you told me on the phone they were here."
Beth drew a deep breath, wondering if she should tell Grant about the Circle S deal; it wasn't a big family secret and even if it was, everyone considered Grant family anyway. Well, everyone except maybe Tyler. "You won't believe what her father did at brunch on Christmas."
Grant pulled the truck through the Double B arches and glanced at her. "What?"
She went on to tell him about Chase wanting to join the two ranches or at least put them both under the same control.
"Anyway, he evidently had planned on Tyler running it, but Tyler doesn't want anything to do with it. He wants to stay here and work with Sara on a horse training facility." She was quite impressed when he told her his plans the other night.
Grant snorted but didn't make any other comment.
"He does," she defended. "I know you don't believe him, but I do."
"You believe him because you..."
"I what?" She narrowed her eyes, waiting for her friend's jaded opinion, but they'd reached the parking lot to the restaurant and Grant ignored her, focusing on parking the truck.
When he got out and headed to the restaurant, she scrambled around the pick up and grabbed his arm. "I what, Grant? Tell me."
He shook his head and studied some spot over her head a few moments before returning his gaze to hers. "After the hell all of us went through when he walked, you've simply let him step right back into your life."
"I'm taking things slow, seeing where they go."
Grant rolled his eyes and walked away.
She glared at his back. "I'm being careful."
He stopped, turned, opened his mouth, but then shook his head. "Whatever. You're on your own this time. When he breaks your heart again, I'm going to step over your body and keep on going."
Beth gasped at his harsh words. Deep down she knew he wouldn't turn his back on her, but she'd never seen him this annoyed. Her eyes burned and images of last year played in her mind. Her shoulders sagged. How could she blame him? If their roles were reversed and someone who'd hurt him was back in his life, she'd be the first to tell him he was being a fool.
She didn't want this to affect their friendship, but didn't know how to convince him that everything would be fine when she was still trying to convince herself.
Tyler squeezed his thighs and sent his horse racing across the field. He needed the thrill of going as fast as he could to help clear his mind. But no matter how much the wind whipped his face, he couldn't erase the image of Beth in Grant's arms. It shouldn't bother him; the pair were friends and work partners. They were close. It didn't mean anything. He'd watched Beth leave the ranch with Grant, on their way to lunch he assumed. Even though he was trying hard, he was consumed with jealousy that the other man was taking the woman he loved to lunch. That she'd sit across from him and smile and laugh and wave her hands around with excitement with Clark instead of him.
His cell phone jangled Travis Tritt's song about a women named T-R-O-U-B-L-E, letting him know right away by the aptly assigned ring that it was Charli. He flipped his phone open and grinned. "Hey pain in the neck. How's it going?" The wrenching sob that came across the line made him pull up his mount hard and fast. "Charli what's wrong? Honey, what's the matter?" His heart leapt in his chest. It had to be her father. Before she said a word he was already turning Blaze toward home.
"Daddy's had a heart attack. I'm at the hospital. It's bad, they, they..." Her voice broke and she sobbed harder.
"I'll be right there. Cord will fly me in." He leaned over Blaze's neck, spurring his horse on. "I'll call the second we land."
As soon as Tyler reached the ranch yard, he swung down and shoved Blaze into the corral. "Red, take care of him for me. There's an emergency, sorry," he yelled as he ran towards the ranch office.
Cord was pouring coffee in the kitchen as Tyler raced through the back door. His brother scowled as he spilled the coffee.
Tyler tried to catch his breath. "Charli called ... Chase had a heart attack, a bad one."
Cord immediately set the coffee mug down. "We'll take the plane out. What hospital?"
"Probably General." Tyler followed him down the hall grimacing at his clothes. Fortunately, he hadn't moved all his things from the Circle S yet. He'd be able to get one of the ranch hands to bring them to the hospital.
Cord was already on his cell phone with Sam. "I don't know if I'll be home tonight or what," Cord told their friend as he led the way to the truck. "Call Buck. I'll be in touch when we know something else. Yeah, Tyler's going with me. He'll probably stay there for a bit."
Tyler climbed inside the cab and frowned. Stay there? Yeah, what choice did he have? Someone had to step in. Beth would understand.
Somewhere in the back of his mind a voice told him like hell she would, but he couldn't worry about that now. They had to get to Abilene.
Hospitals gave him the chills, but Tyler forced all that away as he walked through the front doors. He and Cord followed the arrows on the hospital walls until they reached the elevators for the Intensive Care Unit. Off the elevator and to the right, he saw Charli. She looked up as they approached, stood and threw herself into his arms. He caught her against him, her entire body trembled.
"Shhh, we're here. Come on, baby, tell us what's happening." He pulled back and brushed the wild red hair off her face. She had no make-up on and dark circles ringed her puffy eyes.
Cord handed her a tissue, and Tyler took the moment to step back from her as Cord took over. His older brother wrapped an arm around the redhead's shoulders and led her back to the couch. "What's the latest word?"
Charli sniffled and blinked rapidly as if to stem the flow of tears. "I can only get in for five minutes every hour." Her face crumbled. "He looks awful, all grey and hooked up to these machines and..."
Tyler sat down in a chair next to the sofa. "What happened?"
She brushed her hair back and blew her nose. Cord put his hand on her knee and she grasped it like a lifeline. "He was just in his office. I don't know, maybe around ten. He said he didn't feel good. I went and got him a couple aspirin and some coffee and ... and"---her lip quivered---"when I came back, he was face down on his desk." Her tears flowed in earnest.
Cord pulled her close to his side and caught Tyler's eye. "Sit here with her while I see what's going on."
Tyler nodded and switched places with his brother.
Charli sat up, wiped at her eyes, and blinked again. "I can't believe I'm falling apart like this."
"When was the last time you ate anything?"
She shook her head. "I don't want anything."
Tyler didn't argue, When Cord came back he'd get her to drink something.
"I'm sorry I called you. I didn't know who else to call."
He frowned. "Why would you be sorry? You had to call me."
"I know, but you and Beth are just starting to patch things up and..."
"Beth will understand. It's your father; she won't even think twice about me leaving."
But, later that night after Charli had been forced to go to bed and he and Cord were in Chase's office, Tyler wondered just how long he might end up being away. "Once they do the surgery in the morning, he's going to have a long recovery time." Cord stared out the window as Tyler poured them each a drink.
It was weird; he'd been away only about a month yet it was like he'd never left. The Circle S had become his home as much as the Double B ever had.
He took a sip of the bourbon and handed Cord a glass. "I guess we'll have to look for that overseer even faster."
Cord took a sip. "You know that's not going to be a fast process. We can't leave things like this. Charli can't run this place."
Tyler shook his head. "Nope. I'll have to stay for a few weeks. What else can we do?"
"I'll stay as long as I can, but I can't leave things at home alone that long either." Cord sat down in the oversized leather chair and leaned his head back. "I hated seeing him in there. Brought back stuff I didn't want to remember."
Cord had been the one to find Beau Sampson, the girls' father, face down in the hall. Tyler could see the strain of the memory on his brother's face. "Yeah, but at least for Chase, it sounds like the outcome is going to be okay. A long, hard road, but he'll make it."
"I've never seen Charli fall apart like that either. She surprised me a little." Cord sat up and draped his hands down between his legs, his now empty glass cradled between them.
"He's all she has. They've been a team since her mother ran off when she was a kid."
Cord nodded his understanding. "I talked to Susan earlier. She's going to head up here tomorrow to be with Charli during the surgery and stay a few nights, but she's got Sara on her mind. The baby isn't due for two more weeks but who knows with babies."
Tyler frowned. He needed to call Beth. He'd gotten a quick text from her earlier and he said he'd call her, but hadn't had time yet. Even though he knew she'd never think twice about him having to be here, he felt guilty.
All this time he'd told her he wouldn't leave, and now he had.
Cord stood up and set his glass on the bar table. "I'm going to get some sleep. Charli wants to get to the hospital at six before the surgery."
Tyler sighed. "I'm going to call Beth and then I'll head up too."
Cord walked to the door. "Good night."
"Night."
He set his glass down, pulled out his cell and hit the speed dial for Beth. She picked up on the second ring, sounding sleepy. "Hey."
"Hey." He heard her shift and imagined her tucked into bed. A glance at the clock over the fireplace had him closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, Angel. I didn't realize it was past midnight."
"It's okay. How's Chase?"
"He has to have surgery first thing in the morning. We're at the house now, but we're heading back in there at dawn." Tyler sat down in the chair behind Chase's desk.
"How's Charli holding up?"
"Not good, to be honest. She's a basket case over this."
"I can only imagine. I feel so bad," Beth yawned. "Ohh, I'm sorry."
"It's late; I shouldn't have called." He fiddled with the pencil on the desk, twirling it between his fingers.
"I heard Susan is driving up first thing in the morning."
"Yeah." He tapped the pencil on the wooden desk.
"How long do you think you and Cord will have to be there ... I mean, is there anyone to take over?"
"Not really. Look, I know it's bad timing, but I'll probably be staying up here for a while. Cord can't stay for more than a few days to a week." He wished he could see her face to know what she thought about all this. She understood right?
"Okay." Her voice was quiet.
He frowned. Was she mad? "You sure?"
"Ty, what do you think I am? You have to be there; there's nothing holding you here. You have to be there right now."
What did that mean, "nothing holding you here?" Did she mean that there was nothing between them? Or was she simply telling him she was okay with him being in Abilene? Was that one and the same?
She yawned again. "Ty, do what you need to do and don't worry about me. I'll see you when I see you. Just take care of Charli."
He raked his hand through his hair. "Maybe with Grant back home, you can take a few days off and come up here once Chase is out of the woods and all."
"We'll see. It's hard for me to get away. We've got a lot of appointments, and some of the regular work got backed up over the holidays."
"That's okay. I understand." He tried to make his voice sound easy going and casual, but inside his guts twisted. The timing couldn't be worse---just when he and Beth had reconciled, or at least made huge strides in a reconciliation, he had to take off for Abilene.
"Will you call me when Chase is out of surgery tomorrow?"
"Sure. Goodnight." He wanted to say he loved her, but he didn't want her to feel obligated to say it back.
"Goodnight."
He tossed his cell phone down and paced across the room. Shoving his hands through his hair, he contemplated having another drink but decided against it. Seeing Chase laying in the hospital and his daughter falling apart in a way he never thought he'd see, made him realize that his ties to this ranch, the Circle S, weren't as easily broken as he once believed. He felt as if his loyalties were split between Beth and Chase.
"Hey."
Tyler spun around as Charli walked into the room. She had on baggy pajama bottoms and an old T-shirt that read, "Show me how big things are in Texas." Her hair was twisted up with a clip and her face freshly scrubbed. She curled up in the corner of the couch, tucking her long legs underneath her. She looked like a lost child.
Tyler leaned back against her father's desk.
"I couldn't sleep." She shrugged.
"Want a drink?"
At her nod, he moved to the bar and poured her a shot of her favorite whiskey and handed it to her.
Charli sipped the amber liquid. "I heard you talking to Beth."
Tyler sat down next to her. "She was asking about you."
Her eyes widened. "I don't want you staying here."
"What are you talking about?" He frowned. "You want me to go to a hotel or something?"
She shook her head. "No, I mean once Daddy has the surgery and he's going to make it..." her voice broke and she cleared her throat. "Once we know when he's coming home, I want you to go back home."
"I'm not leaving. I'm staying here for as long as it takes."
"No you're not. I can do this myself. I can."
He reached across the couch to rest his hand on her leg. "Honey, you're not a rancher. I know you'd do your best, but there's no foreman here, no one to help you." He shook his head. "No, I'm staying here until everything is under control."
"I am not going to let this muck things up for you and Beth." Charli pushed back her thick curly hair and finished off her drink.
"I'm not going to lose Beth." He said it as much to convince himself as to convince Charli.
Her blue eyes were full of pity, but he held her gaze. "Trust me. Maybe I'll leave for a weekend ofrsomething and then come back. But I'm not moving back to Sweet Meadow until there's a new guy in place to oversee the operations."
"Oh, I see, you're going to commute from Abilene to Sweet Meadow."
"It's not that far by plane."
Charli unfolded her legs and stood. She pinned him with a glare, and her eyes were cold as she regarded him. "While Daddy is under the weather, I'm in charge, and I'm telling you, I don't want you here any longer than necessary."
"Do you think I can't handle the job?" Tyler stared hard, wondering if she really didn't want him there.
"You're a moron. If you didn't have Beth, I'd be doing everything in my power to keep you here and force you to do what you are more than capable of doing. But I've watched you for over eighteen months grow more and more miserable with missing her---and I saw you this Christmas and how she made your whole life come alive."
She closed the space between them and cupped his face in her long slender hands. "I love that you're here and that Cord is here and that I don't have to worry about anything right now, but I want it understood completely that when Daddy is out of the woods, you're out of here."
Tyler raised one eyebrow at her little speech. "Yes ma'm, boss lady."
Charli squeezed his cheeks, her blue eyes finally sparkling with a bit of life. "That's right, and don't you forget that either."
Tyler pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. "It's going to be fine, kiddo. I promise you, he's going to be fine."
She clung for a moment and he heard her sniffle. Then she threw back her head and pushed away from him. At the doorway, she turned and half-smiled. "Do you think if I crawl into bed with Cord and ask him to hold me, he'll let me have my way with him until I feel better?"
Tyler laughed. "Knowing my brother, he'd probably climb out of bed and get you a cup of cocoa."
Her mouth lifted in a sexy smile. Her hand on the doorway trailed behind her as she slipped out the door. "Hmm, maybe. We'll see..."
The sun was barely up but Tyler had already been on horseback for an hour with some of the men in the north pasture. As always, his first thought of the day was Beth. He longed to call her, but, in the three weeks he'd been away, they'd fallen into a pattern of talking to one another in the evenings. They had agreed that it was simply too hard during the day to have a conversation. His fingers brushed the cell phone, longing to text her, but he had no idea if she had been called out last night and was sleeping.
He took a long swig of coffee from his travel mug.
"Mr. Weston?"
Tyler turned in the direction of a ranch hand's voice. "Randy, call me Tyler," he reminded the young kid for the hundredth time.
"Yes, sir, Mr. Weston ... er I mean, Tyler. There's some fence down at mile marker 412. Sandy wants me to come up there with him. That okay with you?"
Tyler nodded. "Yeah, go ahead. We're all set out here. You guys work on that, and I'll see you at noon chow time."
The younger man turned his horse and was gone. Tyler had to admit, it felt good. It felt damn good to be the guy in charge. With Chase out of the hospital and recovering at home, Cord had left. He planned to return the following week to begin the interview process for some of the candidates they'd found for the overseer position. For whatever reason, as much as Tyler knew they had to hire someone, he dreaded it. How do you find someone who will care about your family's business the same way you do? What if they bring in the wrong person and he screwed up? What if the men hated him? What if he...
Tyler shook his head and pushed his hat back. He had to stop thinking like that. A month ago he wanted to get home and not look back. Now he was wishing he could stay here. Couldn't he make up his mind?
He turned his horse and headed back towards the house. It wasn't that he didn't know what he wanted; it was a matter of wanting the Circle S and wanting Beth, an impossible situation.
He loved it out here. He'd grown up and spent his whole life on the Double B, but for some reason, this place felt like home, too. But, at the end of the day, when he crawled into bed, he knew why it wasn't home. Beth wasn't here. To live here, he'd have to live without her, and he wasn't willing to do that.
Once they'd established someone to oversee the day to day operations and he was back home permanently, was he going to be happy? Certainly with Beth, but what about working with the family? He and Sara had finally discussed the training facility for the horses and partnering up, but Sara was pretty much as bossy as they came. He couldn't picture her letting him truly be her equal and run the show. What if they hit heads? Who would win? Sara, of course; she never backed down in her life.
He shook his head. It didn't matter; he'd be with Beth. That's what he had to hang on to. He'd just have to learn to suck up the rest as best he could. She was worth it.
He spurred his horse on and forced back his doubts. He was here for now and then he was going home to begin his life with Beth. That's what he wanted. Nothing had changed.
The ranch house came into view. He dealt with his horse, and, a short time later, walked through the door in time to inhale the amazing aroma of whatever Charli was cooking for breakfast. Tyler grinned at the sight of the redhead standing in bare feet at the kitchen stove. Her hair was up in a clip, and she swayed to the country music coming from the radio. She flipped what was most likely an all egg white omelette. The doctor had ordered a low fat, low cholesterol diet for Chase. Charli was determined to convince her father that she could cook all his old favorites with this new twist, and he wouldn't notice.
"Morning." Tyler reached past her for a cup of coffee.
"Hey, handsome." She slid the omelet onto a plate already garnished with fresh fruit. "I'm going to take this into Dad and then I'll fix you something."
He inhaled appreciatively as the plate passed by him. "I know I should be polite and tell you not to go to any trouble but..."
Charli laughed. "I'll be right back."
Tyler took his coffee over to the table. He certainly didn't expect her to wait on him but knew she'd fix something amazing, so why should he pretend he wasn't hungry?
He wondered if Chase had a good night's sleep. The older man had been set up on the first floor and, even though he still complained that he could climb the stairs to his own room, didn't seem to mind too much when he got tired.
Charli padded back in carrying pill bottles, an empty water bottle, and the newspaper. She set the paper on the table.
Tyler reached for the local section. "How's he this morning?"
"Said he feels like he has more energy."
"He'll try to overdo it if he's feeling better."
Charli cracked several eggs into the frying pan and Tyler watched as she added bits of bacon, potatoes, and cheese. Thank God only Chase was on the low taste diet.
"I'm not too worried about that. Between me and Daisy, we'll keep him in line." Charli set the plate in front of him along with thick slices of Texas toast.
Tyler spread jam on the hot buttered bread and scooped up some eggs. "I'll go see him when I get back from town. I need to talk about some work we need to get done in the far end of the south pasture."
"You know he'll tell you to do whatever you think is best." Charli sat down across from him. Crunching on her toast, she rested one bare foot on the chair next to her and wrapped her arm around her leg. "He trusts you to make decisions, you know that."
That was what concerned him. He didn't want Chase coming to completely depend on him. But he wouldn't say that to Charli; he didn't want to sound like he was complaining. He was more than happy to be here when Chase needed him. Well, maybe not more than happy, but he was here and he knew this was where he needed to be. "Daisy's quite the find, don't ya think?"
Charli sipped her juice. "I think she likes him."
Tyler lifted one eyebrow. "Yeah? You mean not just as a nurse, right?"
She nodded and grinned. "I've seen his eyes light up when he argues with her. I think he gives Daisy a hard time just so she'll argue back."
"I just thought he was being ornery." Tyler's eyes widened.
"She's good for him."
The older woman was a retired nurse and had been recommended by one of the nurses at the hospital. She was supposed to come once a day to make sure Chase was following doctor's orders, but Tyler noticed more often than not, she showed up twice a day. Always with a good reason---something forgotten, to bring over a book she knew he'd like, etc.
Charli finished off her eggs, stood up and carried her plate to the sink. She came back with the frying pan and scooped the remainder onto Tyler's plate.
He grinned and tucked in again. Can't let breakfast go to waste after all.
"Did Cord tell you he thinks I should open my own restaurant?"
Tyler glanced at her. "Is that something you want?"
Charli poured another cup of coffee and sat back down across from him. "Not really." She pushed her hair back from her face. "You know how much I hate being tied down, committed to anything. When I get bored I just move on. If I owned my own place..." Her voice drifted off and she seemed lost in thought for a minute.
Tyler wondered if maybe there was a part of her that was tempted, or maybe she was just bored with being home. After all, she was used to coming and going as she pleased. To the best of his knowledge, she'd pretty much been home since Thanksgiving. "I think it'll only be a few more weeks, a month at most, and you should be able to get away from here again."
Charli frowned. "Am I that transparent?" She laughed. "Yeah, part of me is itching to get somewhere, do something, but I'm okay. Right now, this is where I need to be."
"If you could leave right now, where do you think you'd go?"
She shrugged. "I don't know ... but I was sort of thinking and had this idea..."
Tyler nodded. "I'm listening."
"There's a lot of people who open restaurants and then don't have a clue what they're doing. What if I were to go in, help them get it on track, and then once it was established, moved on to the next project, Sort of like a consultant?"
"Do you know how to do something like that?"
She shrugged again. "I did something similar in Europe two summers ago. It wasn't intentional, but the husband and wife owners really were in over their heads. When they hired me to cook, I ended up doing more than that. By the time I left, sales were up, customers were lined up at the door, and it was a well established café."
"Nothing says you can't try it. As you said, that way you aren't committed for too long and you can pull up stakes and leave when the project is done."
"What about you?" Charli sipped her coffee.
"What about me? You mean what do I want to do?"
"Yeah? I mean, besides marrying Beth and having little Westons running all over the place."
Tyler grinned as an image of Beth pregnant with their baby flashed through his mind. "It'll be a while before we have kids, but yeah, the plan is to definitely have a big family some day." He set his coffee mug down and carried his plate to the sink. "For now, I'm going to work with Sara and see how that goes."
"Why don't I see that working for you?"
He clenched his jaw. "I'll make it work."
Charli raised one eyebrow. "I'm going to take a shower. If I don't see you before, I'll catch up with you at dinner."
Tyler picked up his hat and headed out the door. Charli's doubts got under his skin. This would work. It had to.
Beth closed her cell phone, leaned back in her chair, pressed her hands to her eyes, and drew a deep breath. The phone calls with Tyler each night were so frustrating. She couldn't believe that he'd been back in her life only a month and already she felt the loss of him not being here like a physical ache. Somehow she thought when he left this time, it would be no big deal; after all, she'd lived without him for over a year and a half. But it wasn't the same. This time she wasn't mad at him for leaving, wasn't hurt ... she just missed him. Like a huge ache.
She couldn't ask Tyler to come back, but he was needed there. No one else could do what Tyler was doing for Chase. Even Cord wasn't the right person this time. He didn't know the Circle S operation, the men, or the layout of the ranch the way Tyler did. When Cord had come home, the few things he'd said were nothing but praise for the way Tyler was running everything. It was more than apparent that Tyler was in his element in Abilene in a way he never had been here.
Restless, she wandered from her office into the reception area. Since she was a little girl, she'd wanted to be a vet. When Doc handed her this practice, she'd been scared, but knew she could do it. Even though her and Tyler's dreams had once been to travel and settle somewhere other than Sweet Meadow, once Doc said she could have this business---a practice of her own just handed to her---it never occurred to her to say no.
Now, Tyler was given an similar opportunity to do what he wanted to do. Chase was doing the same thing for him that Doc had done for her. The only difference, Tyler was going to turn the opportunity down. Because of me.
She was spoiled, just like Charli said. She was a vet for crying out loud, she could do that anywhere. She could open a practice anywhere. Yeah ... I could.
Chewing her bottom lip, her heart thudded at the direction of her thoughts. Was she really considering this? Leaving Sweet Meadow and following Tyler to Abilene? Love was sometimes about sacrifices. She looked around the tidy reception area, studied the pictures on the wall, and wrapped her arms around her waist. She loved this place, but did she love it more than Tyler?
No. The answer came sharp and clear, no hesitation.
Without stopping to think, she headed to the computer at the front desk. There were four veterinarian practices within a sixty mile radius of the Circle S. Maybe one of them would be looking for another doctor. If not, she could open her own practice. Thanks to Doc, she knew how to run one, so why not? Chase had connections in Abilene; she had no doubt he'd help her build a clientele. Beth grinned. If that didn't work, well, she'd marry Tyler, have some babies and take care of their own animals. She grinned at the thought of being a wife and mother. A long time ago, that was her real dream. Raising a family together. That was truly what she wanted. The rest was just filling time until she---until they---had the opportunity to make those dreams a reality. The core of her heart, the focus of her world was building a life with Tyler.
Her heart lifted. Was it really that easy? She grinned as if she'd solved life's biggest mystery.
She leaned over the keyboard and sent off a few exploratory emails to the practices she found. Drumming her fingers on the desk, she looked around again. What about this practice? She and Grant were partners, but she owned the controlling interest. She'd talk to him about that; see how he wanted to handle it. She could certainly still maintain her interest in the practice but from a distance. They could bring in two more vets and an office worker---definitely an office worker.
There was a lot of work to do, but it'd be worth it. Excitement pulled a grin to her lips.
From the back of the building, she heard the door open and Grant call to her. She took a deep breath. Might as well talk to him about this now.
"I'm up front," she hollered back.
His footsteps were steady as he walked through the clinic to where she sat at the reception desk. His hair was mussed, his clothes a wrinkled mess, and he had his old glasses on again. He had a habit of losing his glasses, so he kept several old pair around. She grinned. What a great guy he was. She couldn't love him more if he was her own flesh and blood. Last year, when she wanted to curl up and literally die, he'd hauled her up and forced her to keep on going. He truly was the reason she'd made it through the heartbreak that Tyler's leaving had caused. It was understandable that he couldn't fathom why she'd give Tyler a second chance. But then, Grant had never been in love, not like that, not like this. He'd had some bad luck with girls in college and she knew the girl he dated back home had cheated on him, so love and romance weren't exactly something he had a lot of faith in. It made him jaded and cynical, but Beth believed that all he needed was for the right woman to come along and change all that for her friend.
Still, this conversation wasn't going to be easy.
He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "What are you up to?"
She smiled even wider and crossed the room. "Let's take the horses out for a run."
"You want to go horseback riding? Now?"
"Yeah, I do. Then I want to discuss something with you, but I really need to get out of here first, get some fresh air."
He shook his head but uncrossed his arms. "All right, let's go."
"I won't pretend I agree with this decision," Chase Boyd's voice was gruff with displeasure.
Tyler sat in one of the old rattan chairs that Charli recently had refinished. The cushions were all recovered and re-stuffed, giving the entire wrap around porch an old-fashioned, warm, welcoming feel. It was another way in which Tyler could tell Chase's wild daughter was going out of her mind with boredom. Across from him, she lazily pushed the swing with her bare foot while gazing over the yard.
"I didn't make this decision lightly."
Chase turned a sharp eye on him. Tyler held his stare.
"Turning down an opportunity like this because of a woman, even if that woman is Beth, makes no sense to me." The older man insisted, leaning against the porch railing.
Tyler nodded. Chase's wife had run off when Charli was a toddler. Since that time, except for the occasional date, as far as Tyler knew, Chase had devoted his life to his ranch and his daughter. He didn't trust women and he'd made that clear.
"I love her, and her practice is there. I need to be there, too. What I'm proposing is that we put this new guy in place and see what he does on a daily basis. You'll be on hand to watch him, and I'll come out in a few weeks and check up on him. If he doesn't work out, we'll find someone else."
Chase shook his head. "That's not what I had in mind when I turned over part of my ranch to the Double B. I thought you'd be here. That's what I wanted, expected."
Charli stopped the swing. "Daddy, there's no reason we can't try it this way. Tyler's not that far away."
"I'll be here if you need me. You have my word, Chase. I am taking this seriously. I won't let you down." His chest was heavy. This wasn't what the older man wanted. Hell, it wasn't even what he wanted, either. Tyler suspected that Chase also wanted him close because he knew his daughter was growing more and more restless. He could understand that, but it put him in a worse position. Beth or Chase?
There was no decision there.
Chase gave a curt nod as a car pulled into the driveway. He stood up straighter and tucked in his shirt.
Tyler and Charli exchanged amused glances. Daisy was here.
Chase turned his head back. "I'm willing to try it your way, but I want to look at this again in three months."
Tyler nodded. "I understand. Trust me on this Chase. The new guy is solid. You know I wouldn't leave if he wasn't."
The nurse who'd been taking care of Chase since his surgery shut her car door and lifted her hand to wave. Chase's gaze softened and his lips twitched. The petite woman ducked into the backseat of her car and came out carrying a plastic container. Tyler watched her smile grow wider as she glanced across to Chase.
"You'll be back next weekend?" Chase asked him but his gaze was on Daisy as she shut the door.
Tyler could tell Chase wanted the 'family business' discussion ended before the other woman reached his side. "I'll be here by Sunday night. I want to talk to Beth and check up on Sara. The baby is overdue now by almost two weeks."
"The doctor said he's letting her go until the twentieth, and then they're going to induce if she hasn't gone into labor by then," Charli added and stood up.
"Evening everyone." Daisy smiled as she reached the bottom of the porch.
Chase looked down at the petite woman and a smile lit his face. "Hey, Daisy. What did you bring today?"
She lifted the container in her hands. "I brought some carrot bran muffins. They're good for your heart.
"Carrot and bran? What's wrong with cinnamon or chocolate chip?" Chase's face scrunched up, reminding Tyler of an obstinate five year old.
Daisy laughed, not sounding the least bit insulted. "You don't have to eat them. I'm sure there's some ranch hands who would be more than glad to take them off my hands."
The older man grunted. "There's still some coffee in the kitchen."
She inclined her head. "That sounds wonderful. Let's leave these two young folks alone, and I'll let you taste my muffins."
Chase chortled as if choking and Charli laughed. The nurse winked at his boss. Daisy was definitely good for him.
The two disappeared into the house and Tyler turned to Charli. "What do you think?"
She grinned. "I think it's about time."
Tyler paced the porch. "He's annoyed with my plan."
"Don't worry, he'll get used to it. Once he sees it works, he'll be fine." Charli raised her arms and stretched her body in the swing. "You're the son he never had you know."
"I know, and I appreciate his trust. It's just that..."
She dropped her arms down. "It doesn't keep your bed warm."
He nodded. "That, and I want more. I want a family. I want to share dinner with Beth and talk about our day. I want a couple kids running out to meet me when I get done with work."
Charli shuddered. "I can't think of anything worse in the world, but everyone has different dreams. Have you talked to Beth about this plan?"
Tyler paced to the far end of the porch and watched a horse in the distance. The sun was setting and as always, there was nothing more beautiful than the ranch yard at sunset. "No. We're taking things one day at a time, no talk about the past or the future."
"You think she'll be okay with you flying back and forth?"
Tyler shrugged. "For a while, and until we work something else out, it's the only solution."
"You're going to be a busy man."
Tyler turned and leaned his back against the porch pillar. "I'm not going to let either of them down."
Charli moved to stand in front of him. "I know you won't. But what about yourself? You're a good man, Tyler Weston, and Beth is a lucky lady to have you so devoted to her."
He set his hands behind him on the railing and stretched his legs out. "I made a huge mistake when I left her like that. If she's willing to give me a second chance, I'm going to do everything I can to make it up to her."
Charli touched his arm. "Don't punish yourself too hard, Ty. You did what you thought you had to do at the time. We all do that. Sometimes it's the right thing, and sometimes it's not. But you followed your gut and took a chance---something not everyone has the courage to do."
Tyler never thought of his leaving as the courageous thing; he always thought it was the exact opposite.
Just the thought of seeing Beth tomorrow made his entire body come alive. He couldn't wait to hold her in his arms, sink into her, and feel her welcome him home. He wanted to lose himself in her deep blue eyes, listen to her laughter, and breathe the same air that she was breathing. Corny, but the truth. He simply wanted to be with her.
Charli rose and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for all you did, and for coming when he had the attack."
Tyler wrapped the tall redhead in his arms. "I'll always be here for you, and for Chase. I don't want you to ever hesitate to call me."
She pulled back. "You know I hope that everything works out with Beth, don't you?"
He nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you next week."
As Charli stepped back and headed to the screen door, a sad cast lit her face. "I'll be here as far as I know."
Tyler frowned as she stepped inside. She was like a beautiful caged bird, and it killed him to see her trapped like this.
Once he got his life settled once more, he was determined to help Charli get off the Circle S again and back to her own life. Maybe Cord could talk to her. She always listened to him.
Pushing away from the pillar, he headed inside to finish packing his things. He planned to be on the road at first light.
Beth rolled over, glanced at the clock radio and groaned. Even on her day off, she was wide awake before dawn. Giving up on falling back to sleep, she padded to the bathroom. She lifted her hair off her neck; it was getting long again. A few months ago, she would have made an appointment and got it cut immediately. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered how much Tyler liked it longer. She had no intention of growing it down to her waist again, but she could compromise and let it fall to her shoulders; maybe long enough to pull it back from her face when she worked, or wear it down without it being in the way. He'd like that.
Downstairs, the house was quiet except for the rain beating against the large picture window. She turned on the coffee and stared outside, or tried to. A trickle of dread ran up her spine. With the ground as hard as it was, the rain would bounce off, and that's when the real trouble always began. Flooding. The water couldn't soak in and seep away fast enough and ended up laying atop the hard earth in heaping pools. Tyler was supposed to drive home today. If the roads became impassable, he wouldn't be able to make it. Maybe she should call him and see how the weather was there.
Sipping her fresh coffee, she noticed a light on at the Weston house. Cord had probably been up for hours. The phone rang and she reached for it, knowing already it was probably Flo. She hoped she could talk the older woman into not coming out in this weather, even if it was only across the ranch yard.
"Hello."
"Hey, baby girl."
"Morning, Flo." Beth sipped her coffee. "I hope you aren't going to try to come over here today. Stay dry in the house."
"Actually, I was going to start down to Sara's. I've got a feeling she needs me."
Beth's heart skipped a beat. Flo's 'feelings' weren't to be ignored. "Did she call you?"
"Nope. She wouldn't tell me anything on the phone, anyway. I need to check on her in person."
"You stay put. I'll go."
"Well..."
"I'll go," Beth interjected with a bit more force.
"Okay but don't just call her," Flo warned.
"I won't, I promise. I'll even go there right now."
Hanging up the phone, Beth grabbed a long rain slicker and sat down to yank on oversized rubber boots.
Driving the five miles to her sister's house had never seemed so long. If she hadn't known the road as well as she did, she would have gone off the side several times. As it was, she had to guide her truck up and around several large puddles. Without knowing how much water was in the road, she wasn't about to risk going through them.
Damn. It was bad. The rain made it all but impossible to see the start of Buck and Sara's driveway, but she managed to swing the truck in, and was soon racing up the front porch of her sister's house. She pushed the hood of her slicker down and pushed open the front door.
"Sara!" she yelled. No response. Maybe she was in the back of the house.
Walking through the kitchen, it didn't look as if anyone had been up yet. She frowned and glanced out the back door, trying to see if the vehicles were parked, but the dark and rain made it impossible to see. Her heart raced thinking that Sara might have gone out in this weather either on foot or in the truck. Either way, it wasn't good.
"Sara!" She raced back to the front of the house and flew up the staircase, hoping her sister was lying in bed. Her boots left a wet trail on the hard wood floors, but that was the least of her concerns right now as a cold chill set her spine trembling. The bedroom door was half closed and she knocked on it briefly before shoving it open. "Sara?"
Hunched over, her sister sat on the edge of the bed, her hands cradling her enormous stomach. Beth's own stomach clenched and her heart flew into her throat. Sara's face was white, her eyes closed.
"Oh my God, you're in labor!"
Sara breathed through another contraction and then opened her eyes. She half-smiled. "I'm fine. It's early labor that's all. Maybe even false pains."
Her feet were frozen in place and her mind raced. "Where's Buck?"
Sara winced and pushed herself upright. "He's---oh, oh."
Beth's gaze fell to Sara's front. A dark, wet spot streaked across her short nightgown and down her thighs. Awkwardly, her sister pushed herself up and wobbled across the carpet to the ensuite bathroom.
Staying close to the door in case Sarah needed her, Beth closed her eyes and listened to the water running in the bathroom. Breathe, breathe, she chanted to herself. In and out, focus on taking one breath after another. The panic attack began to subside.
She opened her eyes and tried to get a handle on their situation. There was no turning back to the main house and Flo because the road would already be washed out. They had to get in the truck and head for town, now, before they were trapped here alone. Panic rose again at the thought of delivering the baby by herself. She couldn't do this. Yes, she could. No, she really couldn't.
Sara walked slowly back out, her large form now encompassed in a bathrobe. Though her face revealed her agony, the stubborn woman moved about the bedroom as if nothing was wrong, tossing a bath towel down on the spot on the floor where her water had broken. "There's flooding in the south pasture, Buck had to go. If he knew what was happening, he would have stayed here with me."
Beth's jaw dropped open. "And that would be a bad thing? He is going to kill you."
Sara grimaced and placed a hand over her abdomen. "By the time he finds out, he'll be too busy holding his son or daughter to yell at me too loud."
"What was your plan? Were you simply going to drive to the hospital yourself?"
"No, I mean, I don't think so. I was going to call down to the house and get you or someone to drive me in." She shrugged as if it was no big deal.
"We have to go now, so get dressed. The roads are starting to flood and I have no idea how bad things are in town. I couldn't even see to get here." Beth's heart felt as if it was going to pound out of her chest. She focused on a spot over Sara's shoulder praying for calm.
"Beth?"
Beth breathed in and out once more. This wasn't happening. This really wasn't happening.
"Beth!"
Beth's gaze slammed into her sisters. "What?"
"Get a hold of yourself. I'm the one having the baby."
Beth narrowed her eyes. "I realize that."
Sara quirked her head. "Good, 'cause I don't need you falling apart. Where's Flo?"
Beth strove for patience. "Flo is home, staying dry. If she knew you were in labor, she'd climb on a horse to get here."
Sara opened a dresser drawer and pulled out some clothes. "My suitcase is ready to go if you want to take it down to the backdoor. I'll throw on some clothes."
Beth spun around, eager to distract herself. "Okay, do you need any help?"
Sara let out what could have been a groan or a moan or maybe even a growl, but it was drowned in cuss words. Beth decided to give her a few minutes alone and headed downstairs.
She put the hood of her rain coat back up and pushed open the front door. The rain was relentless. Please let us get to town before the roads close. What the heck was she going to do if they didn't make it off the ranch? Don't think about that. Just focus. Get her into the truck, drive. One step at a time, one action at a time. Breathe.
Back in the kitchen, she grabbed her cell phone. Sara would kill her if she knew she was calling Buck, but she couldn't help it. Immediately, the phone went to voicemail and she hung up without leaving a message.
"I'm ready."
Sara stood in the doorway dressed in a large flannel shirt that had to be Buck's. Her legs were bare. "No pants?" Beth glanced out the window at the rain beating against the glass.
"I've got gym shorts on. I don't want anything heavier on. I'm hot."
Beth wasn't about to argue with her about what she was wearing. She just wanted to get on the road. "Okay, fine. Let's go."
Sara moved to the refrigerator and Beth threw up her hands, anxious to get on the road. "What do you need out of there?"
Her sister pulled out a six pack of her beloved soda. "They said I can't eat anything, but I can have liquids."
Beth grabbed one of Buck's slickers off the coat rack and threw it over her sister's shoulders. "I think they meant water or even juice but probably not soda."
Sara shrugged. "To each his ow---" She suddenly stopped and grabbed her middle, her face contorted with pain.
Beth grabbed her shoulders and held on, hoping she was helping. She had no clue what to do to get her through labor. Animals needed very little assistance when they were in this state. Somehow though, she didn't think rubbing her sister's ears and talking softly was what was needed. This is Buck's job, damn it. He's the one who got her sister in this condition. Where the hell is he? Irrational thoughts of killing Buck wouldn't help.
Sara's eyes were closed and she softly counted. Good. At least one of them appeared to know what she was doing. Once it was over, Sara's eyes popped open. This time, she didn't look so confident. Even so, ever the trooper, she lifted her chin and gave a brisk nod. "Let's go."
By the time she helped the expectant mother into the passenger seat and moved around to the driver's seat, Beth was beyond drenched. The slicker simply wasn't made for the downpour they were experiencing. She tossed the hood back, gave one last prayer, and pulled away from the house. The defroster blowing warm air did its best to keep the window clear, but it didn't matter; clear or not, the pounding rain made it impossible to see the road.
Fighting to keep the truck straight, her shoulders tensed and began to ache from the stress of hanging onto the wheel. Worse, she couldn't look at Sara if she wanted to stay on the road, but she heard the heavy breaths and panting every time a contraction hit. Each landmark they passed, Beth gave a prayer of thanks they were that much closer to the main highway.
"Beth," Sara groaned.
"We're getting there, hang on, we're almost off the ranch."
"We're not ... going to get there," her sister panted.
She shook her head in opposition. "Oh yes, we are. We'll be fine. You just keep your legs closed and don't bring that baby out before we get somewhere safe."
"Right, okay."
Beth groaned. If Sara was suddenly agreeing with her, putting her in control, this was not good. In fact, it was very, very bad.
She breathed, focused, counted. Her sister's life and her unborn niece or nephew's life were completely in her hands. Sara needed her.... and she was a doctor. She could do this.
The night she lost Cole's baby calf and the mother flashed across her mind. What if...
No. Don't go there. It's going to be fine ... everything is going to be fine.
Suddenly, the truck nosedived straight down and the wheel jerked from her hands. She couldn't see and had no idea what was happening. It stopped dead seconds later, and she thanked the heavens that they hadn't appeared to hit anything.
She immediately glanced to her sister. Sara's eyes were wide but she looked okay for the moment. Beth rolled down the window. Best she could figure, they were in a ditch on the side of the road.
"Damn it!"
She touched her hand to Sara's shoulder but another contraction came and Sara was focused on that.
"I'm going to get out and see if I can get us out of here. Stay put." She put the hood up on her coat and pushed open the door. Rain pelted her and she blinked, trying to see where on earth they even were.
With a quick study of the stuck truck, panic began to rise. There was no way they were going to be driving anywhere.
Trying to keep the fear out of her voice, she climbed back in. "We're stuck."
She grabbed her cell phone and dialed Buck's number but it never went anywhere. No signal. She tried again and then sent a text praying a text would go out over the weak connection.
Sara wet her lips and closed her eyes as she rested her head on the back of the seat. "Did you see a landmarker? What number is it?"
Beth shrugged. "I don't know, I didn't see one."
Sara bit her bottom lip. "If I'm right, we're near the 1500 mark, which means that the old cabin isn't that far from here."
"The old foreman's cabin?" Beth shook her head. "Even if it was nearby, I can't get the truck out of the ditch."
The old cabin, as Sara referred to it, was really nothing more than an old, run-down shack. Better than a line shack, a little bigger, but definitely rough. It did have indoor plumbing, though. What was she thinking? They couldn't get there---the rain hadn't let up, it would be wet and muddy ... and Sara was in labor!
Sara's head rolled her way and her sister's eyes opened. "We should be able to walk there."
Beth shook her head. "I don't think you can make it."
Sara narrowed her green eyes into hard slits. "I'm not having this baby in a truck. Now let's go."
Beth stared after her for a split second. Did anything ever rattle her? As if in answer, another contraction overtook Sara and she doubled over, crying out. Beth sat helpless, swallowing back the nausea that rose in her throat and caused a sour taste in her mouth. So many things could go wrong with this. What if they fell? She'd never be able to get Sara back on her feet let alone carry her. Weren't they better to stay here where it was at least dry?
Sara didn't leave room for discussion and pushed her door open. "We have to go now before another contraction hits."
Beth gave a quick prayer, grabbed the keys out of the truck, and shoved her cell phone in her pocket. Reaching behind her seat, she quickly collected the smaller of her two medical bags and met Sara at the front of the truck. Rain blinded her as she looked up. "Which way?" she yelled.
Sara pointed.
Holding her sister's arm in support, she gingerly led the way. Please let her be right. She couldn't see a thing. What if Sara was confused and they weren't near the cabin at all?
Sara squeezed her hand. "Wait, I have to stop."
They stopped as a contraction took hold of her sister. Beth held tight to her hand, whispered words of encouragement, and blocked as much of the rain from the agonized woman as possible while Sara cried out and squeezed her fingers, hard.
Two more stops and several long minutes later, the cabin was suddenly right in front of them. Beth could have cried with relief. At least they'd be out of the rain.
Inside the cabin, she helped Sara remove her raincoat and boots and guided her to a chair before taking off her own gear. A small woodstove stood in the corner of the room ready to be lit.
Picking up nearby matches wrapped in plastic, she lit the kindling. Within seconds, a fire blazed. She glanced around. "This cabin isn't so bad. I guess I remembered it being a lot worse."
The cabin had a small table with four chairs. The far end of the room held a recliner and double bed, the mattress covered in plastic. Beth hoped a plastic tote next to the bed held bedding.
Sara glanced up after the most recent contraction stopped. "We redid a lot of these cabins the past couple of years. That way the ranch hands can just stay out here if they need to and not waste time coming back to the main house all week."
Beth lifted the lid to the tote and pulled out a sheet and blanket. First, she needed to get her sister into bed, then she'd check out the supplies they had. By the time she had the bed made and helped Sara onto it, her sister's face was as white as the sheets. The pain she must be in had to be worse than she was letting on. Sara lay down on her back and closed her eyes.
"I'm going to slip these wet shorts off okay? Then we'll get you under some blankets."
Sara nodded and lifted her hips. Beth laid the wet clothes on a chair that she moved close to the woodstove. Within a few minutes, she had Sara covered up. Her sister's eyes were closed. An old sweatshirt hung on a hook on the wall, and she stripped off her own damp clothes and put that on instead. It hung past her knees but at least it was warm and dry.
Sara swore and let out a loud groan.
Beth moved to her side. "I think we need to start timing them."
Sara nodded without opening her eyes. Beth pulled out her cell phone and fiddled with it until she found the stop watch. "Let me know when the next one starts."
Beth was alarmed to discover how close together they were coming. "Okay, listen. I'm going to get some supplies out and see what we have here."
In the kitchen, she put a kettle on the gas stove and started water to boil. They could both use a cup of tea, and even if they didn't drink it, the simple job kept her busy.
A memory flashed through her mind of being with Tyler when they were kids in these rough buildings. What the two of them wouldn't have given to have a comfortable bed instead of the old camp cots that used to here. She smiled. They'd passed a lot of afternoons pretending to be western settlers---usually newlywed western settlers.
With two hot cups of tea, she crossed the cabin floor and took a seat by the bed. She checked her cell phone, trying in vain to get a signal.
Sara looked over and Beth wiped her face with a wet cloth. "How ya doing?"
"I'd rather be wrestling a bull."
Beth grinned. "No doubt."
Her sister's brows furrowed. "What did you come down to the house for earlier anyway?"
"Flo sent me. She had a feeling. She's probably sick to death with worry."
"She'll have everyone out looking for us; they'll find us." Sara closed her eyes again.
"Most likely." Beth chewed her lip. "Sara?"
Her sister's green eyes fluttered open. "Yeah?"
"I think I'm going to move to Abilene to be with Tyler," she confessed, figuring it was as good a distraction for her sister than anything.
Sara frowned and leaned up on her elbow. "What are you talking about? What about your practice?"
"Grant can run the practice here. We'll bring in another vet or two, and they can manage it while I work somewhere in Abilene. I don't care where, it doesn't matter anymore. I just want to be with Tyler. I want to have our future the way you and Buck are having yours." She grimaced, lifting her shoulders and letting them droop. "I miss him."
Another contraction shook her sister, and for several minutes, Sara was absorbed in riding out the pain. When it finally subsided, her face was bathed in sweat. She lay back catching her breath. "I can't imagine living without Buck, not even for a day. If that's what you think is best, then that's what you have to do."
"I do." Beth wiped her brow again. "Tyler deserves his chance to do what he wants to do. I'm portable. I can be a vet anywhere. I don't need my own practice to do what I love doing."
"I hate to see you move, especially when the baby is going to be here."
"We're not that far away. I can come home as often as I want. In fact, if I take a job in someone else's practice, I've got more freedom." The thought actually lightened her heart. It was a tough job being in charge of so much. It might be nice to 'punch a clock' and not have the responsibilities on her shoulders. "It'll be especially nice when we decide to have kids."
Another contraction hit hard and Beth helped her through it, timing the duration on her phone. When it ended, she got up and moved to the kitchen again. Her hands were shaking and her stomach was queasy. She couldn't let her sister guess how scared she was. She had to be strong and confident.
She closed her eyes, swallowed hard, and tried to focus. She thought about her years of training, thought about the years of growing up with Sara and how close they were. She had to get a grip on herself; she couldn't lose control. Sara needed her. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she bit down hard on her lip.
Opening her eyes, she squared her shoulders. She was a doctor; an animal doctor,but a doctor nonetheless, and she would get her sister and the baby through this. There wasn't any choice.
The door suddenly swung open with a bang. Beth's eyes widened in shock and surprise.
Tyler stepped into the cabin.
Tyler had only a second to zone in on Beth before she launched herself at him, her arms wrapping around his waist like vice grips.
Laughing, he quickly pulled her away. "Let me get this off first or you'll get soaked. Are you okay?" he asked, shrugging out of his drenched slicker. "I saw the truck in the ditch and hoped you'd made it here." His eyes took in the sweatshirt and her bare legs. He reached out and grabbed the front of it and tugged her towards him. "Nice look. Maybe being stranded here in a rainstorm isn't such a bad thing."
A groan from the other side of the room snapped his head up and his jaw dropped. "Sara? Tell me she's not in labor."
"We have to get her out of here, Ty." Panic played over Beth's features.
He grabbed both her hands. "I'll get both of you out of here. Stay calm for me, okay?"
She nodded, but her body began to shake. Tyler squeezed her hands again in reassurance and moved towards the cot just as Sara opened her eyes and blinked.
Gently, he brushed hair away from his sister-in-law's forehead. "Hey, what's going on?"
"What are you doing here?"
"I heard I was about to become an uncle. How about we go to the hospital now?"
Sara's eyes filled with tears. He could remember only a very few times the strong woman ever cried in her life: their parents' funerals, the death of her dog ... that was about it. Never from pain, not even when she'd been tossed in the dirt by a horse. He swallowed hard. Beth was shaking and Sara was crying. This can't be good.
He forced a smile onto his face. "I'm going to help you up and get you into my truck. It's not that far from the cabin and then we can get you to the hospital. Everything's going to be fine."
She nodded. Beth appeared next to them with Sara's shoes. Tyler helped her slip them on her feet and then pulled her upright to drape his coat over her shoulders. "Ready?"
Sara nodded, but they hadn't gone two feet when she froze and, with a scream, bent over double.
Beth frowned at Tyler. "They haven't been this bad before."
Sara cried and Tyler struggled to support her weight as the contraction continued. "Breathe, Sara. Focus, breathe." He glared over his shoulder at Beth. "Where the hell is Buck?"
"She didn't tell him she was in labor. He's out in the north pasture dealing with a flood. I can't get a cell signal.
Sara went limp. "Bed, I need to go back to the bed."
"No, we have to get to the truck."
"It's too late, aagh!" Sara shook her head. "It's too damn late. Get me to bed and get this baby out of me," she hollered as another contraction came.
Beth squeezed his arm. "If we try to get her to the truck, we'll only end up pulling over on the side of the road for this baby. I think we should stay here; it's safer."
"We?" Tyler's eyes grew wide. "You and me deliver this baby? Here?"
Beth nodded. "There's no other choice."
Tyler glanced back to Sara. She was pale white and her face revealed her agony.
Beth gently guided him with his load towards the bed. "It's okay, Ty. I can do this ... I think. Do you want to drive out and try to get some help or..."
Tyler shook his head as he helped Sara back onto the bed. "No, I'll keep trying to get a cell signal. I'm not leaving the two of you alone."
With Sara settled, they moved across the room to the small kitchen. Tyler wrapped his arms around her, but Beth pulled back.
"I didn't expect you this early. What about Chase? Is he doing all right?"
Tyler nodded. "Much better. I told Charli it was time for me to get back home. I've been gone too long."
Beth frowned. "But the job ... you have a job to do."
He squeezed her shoulders. "The only job I have is finding the right person to oversee the ranch. I've got someone lined up. He can't come in for two weeks yet, but I told Chase I'd be back before then. In the meantime, I'm just a phone call away." He pulled her closer and lowered his head. "I'm tired of sleeping without you."
"I really hate to break up this beautiful discussion," Sara called from across the room. "But I'm in labor over here! Do you think maybe we could save the make-up sex for another time," she finished in a high, angry squeak as another contraction began. The words now coming out of her mouth were enough to make the toughest of cowboys squirm.
Ty grinned. No one could swear quite like Sara. He dropped his arms from Beth and crossed the room.
As he leaned down to wipe the hair off her face, Sara grabbed hold of his shirt and yanked him down to her. "I changed my mind. I want to go to the hospital; I want doctors! A whole freakin' department of them. And drugs, Tyler, get me drugs!" She gripped tighter. "I can't do this. I am not having this baby here like some damn pioneer woman. Get me the hell out of here, Ty, or I will kick your ass from here back to Abilene. You hear me, Tyler? This is your brother's fault. Now you get me out of here or I will make you sorry you ever walked through that door!" Her last words trailed off on a scream as her entire body folded and contracted and she released his shirt. Tears leaked unchecked from the corners of her eyes.
Tyler grabbed her face in both hands. "Look at me, Sara!" Her eyes were wild but she stared back at him. "Beth and I are right here, and we're going to get you through this. You can do this, Sara, I know you can. Beth is going to help and so am I. We're your doctor and your nurse. You can hit me, scream at me, whatever you have to do, but we're going to do this together and everything is going to be fine. I promise."
God please let it be okay. It has to be okay. Within her pale face, her eyes were crazed and scared to death.
"Beth," he called, glancing over his shoulder.
Her eyes met his and she nodded. "I'm going to wash and get everything together."
He returned his attention back to Sara.
Another contraction started and Sara's face scrunched up. "Oh, Ty. Oh my God, something. I feel something. I have to push! I can't push ... the baby ... oh God!" She cursed again and panted hard as another contraction rolled through her.
"Don't push yet. Hold back. Just a few more minutes, okay?" Beth called from across the room.
He helped Sara through that contraction and then glanced around. The room was warm but he figured warmer was better if they were bringing a brand new baby into it. Leaving her in between contractions, he tossed more logs onto the fire and picked up an extra blanket before joining Beth at the sink and scrubbed his hands alongside her.
"It's going to be okay. You can do this," he encouraged.
Beth glanced up, then over at her sister and back to him. "What if something goes wrong? Oh God, Ty, I..."
"Nothing is going to go wrong." Tyler emphasized this with a shake of his head. "Women had babies for years without a hospital. You've delivered lots of babies. You can do this."
Beth glared and hissed, "Animals, Ty. I've delivered baby animals."
Sara began to groan, alerting them to another contraction.
"I'm going to check her." Beth picked up a package of latex gloves she'd set out next to her medical bag.
He grabbed a handful of towels and followed her to the bed.
"Sweetie, I'm going to pull the blankets down and check you. I want to see if I can see the baby." Respectfully, Beth moved the blankets.
Tyler handed her the pile of towels and watched as she slid them under Sara's hips. When she lifted the flannel shirt that covered Sara's thighs, he turned away, listening as Beth soothed her sister, talking to her throughout her examination.
"On the next contraction, Sara, I'm going to try to feel the baby. I don't want you to push, just go with it so I can see how far along we are."
"O-okay," Sara panted.
Tyler kneeled next to the head of the bed and wiped Sara's brow with a damp cloth. "You can do this boss lady. You can do anything you put your mind to. This baby is so excited to get here and see us that he can't wait. Someday we'll all sit around and tell him the story of this, and he'll be so proud of you." His voice cracked and his eyes burned with held back tears. He was already so proud of her, of both of them. Living on a ranch, the number of births he'd witnessed in his life was too many to count, but this was a first. The first time he'd ever helped a human being come into the world, and it was his niece or nephew. Very cool. He gave up another prayer of thanks that he happened to come home today, at this particular time, and found their truck.
Exhausted, Sara flopped back against the mattress.
Beth sat on the foot of the bed, her hand on her sister's bared leg. She looked over to Tyler. "I don't think it's going to be much longer."
He nodded. "What can I do to help you?"
"I think we've got it covered, at least I hope so."
Another contraction started and they both moved into position again.
"Sara if you feel like pushing this time, bear down and let's see what happens." A few seconds later Beth was the one to cry out. "I see it! Sara, I see your baby. Oh my God, it's a dark head."
The contraction subsided and Sara fell back to the cot. Beth laughed and met Tyler's eyes. "I could see the head. When she contracts again, I want you to help her lean up and into it. Get behind her and support her shoulders against you and..."
The door flew open and they both shot their gazes to the door just as Buck and Cord stumbled through. Buck's eyes were wild. When he saw Sara, Tyler didn't even think it took him two steps to cross the cabin floor.
Buck reached the bed and Tyler stepped away as his brother wrapped his wife in his arms.
"I can't believe this. How the hell..."
"Not now, Buck, you can fight about this later." Beth shifted her position. "Right now, your baby is just about to get here."
Tyler stepped back and watched his brother and Sara. The look of fear and insanity that had filled her eyes moments ago was gone, replaced by a fierce determination as she squeezed her husband's hand. Buck still looked scared to death, but he talked to Sara in soothing tones, saying words that he'd never heard his big brother say before. They were corny endearments that at any other time, he'd rile Buck to hell about. But, right now, watching him rub Sara's head and touch her face, he was so moved he couldn't even speak.
A hand settled on his shoulder and he turned to Cord. They crossed into the kitchen portion of the cabin letting the others handle things.
"We finally got Beth's text as we reached the road," Cord said from beside him. "Got here as fast as we could. Did this come on all of a sudden?" He touched the kettle on the stove and then re-ignited the flame underneath.
"Apparently, she was in labor when Buck left this morning but wouldn't tell him because she was more worried about the flooded north pasture." Tyler glanced across the room, not wanting Buck to overhear him.
Cord's mouth dropped open, and he shook his head.
Tyler shrugged. "You know Sara, the ranch before anything else."
Cord grinned. "Somehow, baby brother, I think that's all about to change."
"Okay, Sara, let's do it," Beth hollered.
Cord and Tyler moved closer but kept a respectful distance.
"Here it comes. It's crowning ... here's the head."
"I see him! I see him!" Buck called out.
Beth blocked their view for the most part but when the baby's head slid out of Sara and Beth cried out, he couldn't help but peek. Beth shoved her finger into the baby's mouth and wiped the mucous off the nose at the same time.
"Okay, honey, now the shoulders. Easy, give it your best push."
She didn't have to ask again as, in a swoosh, the red-faced, gooey covered infant was lying on the towel on the bed. Beth laughed and cried at the same time. "It's a boy, guys. It's a big, beautiful boy."
The baby let out a wail, squirmed and wiggled. Beth lifted him up and laid him on Sara's stomach.
Tears rolled down all their faces. Cord moved next to the bed and handed her the surgical scissors. In seconds the cord was cut and the baby was wrapped up in warm towels and lying on Sara's chest. Buck's large hand covered the baby's back completely.
Tyler watched Beth expertly deal with the messy necessities of a birth, and within minutes, the blankets were pulled back down over Sara.
Following her into the kitchen area, Tyler took one look at Beth's face, shoved a chair under her butt and pushed her head down between her knees. "Breathe, Angel. Breathe."
Cord brought a flask of whiskey over. "Here, drink this," he ordered.
Beth lifted her head and took a sip then shook her head. "No, I'm fine. The room just spun there for a minute, but I'm good." She handed the flask back to Cord. "God, I was scared to death."
Tyler bent over and wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her head in his stomach. "We all were, but it's all good. She's fine and so is the baby." Tyler kissed her head.
"Okay guys, we've waited long enough." Cord moved back across the room. "What's our nephew's name?"
Keeping her hand tight in his, Tyler led Beth to the others.
Sara smiled up at Buck. "Beauford Samuel Tyler Weston."
Beth laughed. "Poor kid."
"We'll call him Bo." Sara grinned. "We would have named him after you Beth, but we figured that was pushing our luck."
Tyler gazed down at tiny Bo. He wasn't sleeping; his tiny eyes were open and taking in this new world.
Beth reached for him. "Why don't you guys let me clean him up, and then I'll bring him back."
Cord shoved his arms into his rain coat. "I'm going to go to the road and get an ambulance out here and then call Flo."
"Oh my God, Flo!" Sara's eyes widened. "She's got to be losing her mind."
Cord crossed the room and leaned down to kiss their sister-in-law's cheek. "You did a great job. She'll be so proud---then she's going to kill you when she finds out what you did."
Sara chuckled. "I'll just hand her this beautiful baby and she won't touch a hair on my head."
Tyler clapped his hands together. "Hey, you know what this means, don't you?"
They all looked his way and he grinned. "It means Flo now has someone else to fuss over and will leave the rest of us alone."
It only seemed a few minutes passed before they heard the ambulance coming, and within a short time, Sara, Buck and little Bo were loaded in the back and headed to Houston General.
Beth glanced at the mess around the cabin and sighed. "Did we really just deliver a baby? Here in the middle of the pasture?"
Tyler laughed. "You did an awesome job. I am so proud of you."
Beth pulled the blanket from the bed and set it aside, then pulled the soiled sheets off. Tyler held open a plastic garbage bag and she shoved them in. "Flo will love dealing with this mess."
"Flo is going to be flying so high the next few days nothing will rattle her."
Beth paused and watched Tyler extinguished the fire. God, she missed him. "Ty?" she began hesitantly. "Can I talk to you about something?"
He turned, his brows dipping in worry as he stood.
"It's not bad ... at least I don't think it is." She crossed the room and took his hand. "While you were gone, I made a decision about us."
"Beth..."
She watched him blanch and fear filled his eyes.
She reached up on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Teasing his lips apart with her own, she tried to quell his fears by pouring her heart into her kiss. Within seconds, flames ignited, and by the time they came up for air, Beth's head was spinning.
"Okay, okay. Before we go down that road..." She laughed and pushed back from his arms. "Tyler, I don't want you to give up the position at the Circle S. I want you to stay in Abilene, permanently."
He shook his head adamantly. "I won't do that. In fact, if it's an issue, I'll tell Chase right now that he'll have to finish up with the new guy or Cord will have to help him." He pulled her into his arms and rested his head on her hair. "I promise I won't go back. I swear to you. I knew I was away too long. I can't blame you for wanting to give up on me again."
She pulled back and slapped a hand over his mouth to stop his tirade. "Will you stop and listen to me for a second?" Beth waited for him to nod, then removed her hand and continued. "I don't want you to come home because I'm going to be moving to Abilene."
His eyes flew wide then he frowned. "Move to Abilene? You can't do that. What about your practice? Your career?"
She put her hand back over his mouth. "I'll still have my career. There's several practices within sixty miles of the ranch. I'll work for one of them."
Tyler pulled her hand down. "But what about your own practice? What about Grant?"
"We've talked." She smiled in understanding. "He knows that I need to be with you. Honestly, Ty, after what we just went through with Sara, I don't want to be away from you again. I want that to be us next time." Her voice broke. "I don't mean I want to start a family tomorrow, but I want to be with you and that's all that matters. I can work anywhere."
Tyler shook his head. "Are you sure? I don't want you to regret this. What if you change your mind down the road? What if I do?"
Beth frowned and stepped back, her shaking hand fluttering to cover her chest. "About us?" she squeaked.
Tyler grabbed her into his arms and kissed her. "Don't even tease about that. I have no doubts about us. I meant about moving to Abilene."
"Then we'll deal with it, together. Maybe in a few years, we might decide we want to come back here, maybe have our kids here or something, who knows. But by then, you'd hopefully have someone in place that you trust, and I could always come back." She clung to him. "I'm not worried about that; all I know is, right now, I need to be with you, every night. Not a few times a month or whenever we can squeeze each other into our schedule. I need to be with you, wherever you are."
"Seriously?" He looked unsure. "If you're just doing this for me, I mean..."
She took his hand and brought it to her cheek. "Of course I'm doing this for you, and for me. For us. I want to be with you and that's what's important. If I can't find a job at one of the offices out there, I can work the ranch with you."
She splayed her hands across his chest. "And if that doesn't work." She glanced up under her lashes. "I'll stay home and make dinner and babies."
She slid her hands up under his T-shirt and spread them against his warm chest. "Do you think you can handle having me around every day?"
Tyler grinned and slipped his hands under her shirt, cupping her breasts and making her heart race.
He leaned close. "Do you think anyone will miss us if we 'clean up the cabin' for a bit longer?"
Beth shook her head. "I think we're pretty safe here for a while. Everyone will be focused on seeing that new baby."
"So then here's the thing." A wicked grin tilted his lips. "You're the young daughter of a rancher who's come west to stake his claim in the land. I'm the neighbor's son and I've come over to see if I could help you with anything." He took her hand and led her to the bedside then reached into the tote for a clean blanket and laid it on the braided rug on the floor. "Your parents are gone and you and I have been waiting for this moment for a long time."
Beth's pulse quickened with anticipation. She grinned and reached for his belt buckle. "As long as you promise to make an honorable woman out of me when my parents catch us..."
Tyler lifted her chin with his finger. "All kidding aside, you know I'm marrying you right? I mean, enough of this nonsense about not talking about the future."
"Well, I might need some convincing. A girl doesn't like to think she's easy to get, you know."
Tyler smiled slowly. "I'll spend all the time you need. By the time this rain stops and we can drive back to the house, you'll be so convinced..."
She lost the rest of his words in her hurry to yank the sweatshirt off her head. Beth soon faced him wearing nothing but her panties. "We don't have a lot of time, cowboy. My parents could be back any minute."
Grinning wide, he ripped his own shirt off his shoulders and stepped out of his jeans. "I saw them heading into town. You can't fool me, rancher's daughter. They won't be back for hours."
She giggled at the inflected promise in his words. "Well, I do have chores to get done before they get back."
He reached for her as they sank to the blanket. "I'll tell you what, if you let me ravish that delectable body of yours, I'll do all your chores."
Her insides boiled over at the visual. "Oooh, my hero."
Beth laughed as Tyler laid her on her back and covered her with his body. She gazed up into his brown eyes and threaded her hands into his hair. "I love you," she whispered.
He paused above her, a cherished smile softening his face and filling her heart to bursting.
"I'm going to take the rest of our lives to show you how much I love you."
Tyler kissed her and Beth forgot all about delivering babies, rainstorms, and anything else going on outside the cabin walls. Nothing mattered except being in Tyler's arms, right here, right now, and starting their new life together.
Roni Adams' writing career began as a young girl writing stories about her family pets. When a friend of her family typed these stories up for her and put them in a three ring binder, her life course was set. Roni has worked as a newspaper journalist, an administrative assistant, and other positions, but she has always known in her heart she was a writer.
After being published in several magazines and a couple anthologies, her first full length novel, "Beauty and the Geek" is now available through The Wild Rose Press.
Set in a fictional town in Upstate New York Beauty and the Geek features a lovable geek named Louie who has loved Becky, the beauty, for years. When they both find themselves working on the same project will their close proximity and shared passion for the house on the hill be enough to show her he's not such a geek after all?
Roni resides in a tiny hamlet in Upstate New York nestled along the Erie Canal. She's been married for 22 years to Scott. They have three sons, Ian, Brennan and CJ ages 12-19. They also share their home with an aging german shepard and three ornery cats. Escaping into the lives of her characters takes Roni's mind off the fact that her family is growing up way too fast.
She is an active member of RWA and the San Antonio Romance Authors. She is also one of the founding members of www.rosescoloredglasses.com---a writers community devoted to helping new writers grow and learn. Roni loves to hear from readers and you can contact her at roni@roniadams.com. You may also visit her web site at www.roniadams.com.
A body made for sin.
There was no other way to describe the woman leaning across the pool table. Her deep red hair hung in curly abandon halfway down her back, stopping where the band of her T-shirt rode up to reveal a wide expanse of tanned back. Her shapely hips, encased in a short denim skirt, shifted as she lined up her shot. She caressed the pool stick and slid it in and out of her fingers before finally giving it a stroke that made Grant Clark's breath catch. When the ball disappeared into the far pocket, she straightened and blew on the tip of the cue.
His groin hardened in instant reaction.
Around him, a small group clapped and she bowed dramatically. Her generous lips, the kind made for kissing a man senseless, curved into a smile that transformed her face from beautiful to stunning.
Grant's imagination took over and soon he was laying her back against the pool table, her long legs hooked around his waist as he filled his hands with her luscious curves. Lowering his mouth to her cherry colored lips, he anticipated how warm and sweet they'd be. And she smiled that thousand-watt smile just for him.
Suddenly he realized she was smiling at him, and not just in his fantasy.
She'd caught him staring, and the glint in her eye told him she knew exactly where his mind had been. She crooked one well sculpted eyebrow and slowly slid her gaze down his length, searing every inch. Before her eyes met his again, someone in her group called and she snapped her head around.
Grant felt as if she'd been holding him off the ground, and then dropped him.
He watched as the sexy redhead sidled up to a balding older man and slid her arms around his neck and then kissed his pudgy cheek. The bald man shook his head and she pouted, looking up at him from under her lashes. What on earth was a beautiful young woman like that doing with someone twice her age? He stiffened, realizing that he was paying way too much attention to something that wasn't his business. He turned back around just as the bartender appeared with a frosty mug.
"Here you go, Doc." Bill set the beer in front of him.
"That's what I need." He took a long, grateful drink.
Bill glanced past his shoulder and grinned. "The beer or the redhead?"
Grant swiped at his mouth where the foam clung. "Definitely the beer." He took another drink and quirked his head towards the pool table.
A yawn Grant couldn't conceal overtook him, and he hastily covered his mouth with his hand. "Sorry."
"You look like you were rode hard and put up wet." Bill flipped the bar towel over his shoulder and picked up the now empty beer mug.
"I think I delivered every calf in the county tonight." He rubbed his hand around the back of his aching neck. Maybe he should have just gone straight home instead of coming to the LoneStar.
"How you gonna handle things when Beth's gone on her honeymoon?" Bill drew a fresh beer and set it on the bar.
Grant nodded his thanks and took a sip before answering. "She's got some friend of hers that's coming in to help out."
"Another vet?"
"No, someone to handle the office."
Bill grinned. "What's this friend look like?"
Grant shook his head. "No clue. I'll meet her this weekend at the wedding. I just hope she can do the job without getting in my way."
"Maybe she'll be someone you wouldn't mind having around."
The bartender laughed and Grant snorted. "She better be someone who just blends in with the background."
Laughter from the party at the pool table was loud and clear. Grant glanced pointedly at Bill. "Not like some women."
The owner of the LoneStar nodded. "I don't know, Doc. I think that kind of distraction would be worth a bit of overtime."
He shook his head. "That type is nothing but trouble. I've had enough of that to last a lifetime." His stomach rumbled loudly.
Bill dropped his towel to the bar. "I'm gonna go check on your steak."
Grant was relieved to see him go. His love life---or lack thereof---wasn't something he wanted to talk about. Lately, all Beth and her meddling sisters wanted to do was find him a woman. All he wanted to do was focus on his job, to get the practice to the point where they weren't both working eighteen hour days. Then maybe he could take a vacation. It would be pure heaven to lay on a beach somewhere with a drink in one hand and a good book in the other. Somewhere warm and tropical with white sand and blue skies would be perfect. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen. Beth would be back just in time to start a new life with her husband in Abilene.
"What are you gonna do here alone?" Chase Boyd looked at his daughter with concern.
Charli shrugged and handed her father his hat. "Listen to music, toss some more darts, I don't know. I'll be fine; stop worrying."
He continued to look uncertain, so she smiled and kissed his cheek. "I promise I won't stay late."
He straightened the hat on his balding head. "You've been keyed up for days, little girl. When do you think you might share with your old man what's eating at ya?"
Not hardly. There were some things a woman didn't discuss with her father. She pushed him gently towards the door. "I'm just preoccupied with the wedding. Now go. I'll be fine."
"I don't care how small this town is, I don't like leaving my daughter alone in a bar." He looked beyond her at the rest of the room and frowned.
"There's hardly anyone in here."
He still didn't look convinced and she sighed. "Look, that guy at the bar is Beth's partner, Grant Clark. I promise I'll go up and talk to him. I won't be alone."
Her father's gaze followed where she pointed, and he nodded, seemingly appeased that she'd be with a friend of the family. "I'll see you in the morning then. Drive careful."
"I will."
She waved him out the door before turning to the jukebox in the corner. After shoving a bunch of quarters into the music machine, she headed to the bar.
Beth had told her that her partner was a quiet man and a workaholic. Grant Clark's idea of relaxing was with a good book and the Discovery Channel---about as opposite from herself as he could get. At the time, she hadn't paid too much attention to Beth's description other than to picture him as a nose to grindstone kind of guy. She hadn't even thought much about his physical look, but seeing the small town vet in person had her completely rethinking the situation. Beth neglected to mention that her workaholic partner could fill out a pair of worn Levi's like a male model. The least she could do was introduce herself, maybe buy him a beer.
The first thing Charli noticed was the way his black T-shirt molded to his back before disappearing into the waistband of his jeans. His brown cowboy hat couldn't quite hide the fact that his blonde hair was a bit too long, adding to the image of a hard working man who didn't even have time to visit a barber.
She tried to catch his eye as she slid onto the stool next to him and crossed her legs. Grant Clark was completely obsessed with his very rare steak. The onion rings had been shoved aside as if they were of little importance. He attacked the meat as if he hadn't eaten in days. He looked exhausted, and she had this urge to massage his shoulders. His profile was ruggedly handsome, but the scowl on his face made him appear mad at the world. He definitely needs something to make him smile.
At that moment, he turned his head and the blueness of his eyes startled Charli. But they weren't warm and welcoming; they narrowed at her as if she was a pesky five-year old about to bombard him with questions.
Amused, Charli propped her chin in her hand and winked. "Hey, cowboy, buy me a drink?"
His gaze roamed over her face and then slid to her chest. Her pulse sped up as he took a good long look, raised his eyes to hers again, and then turned back to his dinner.
With what might have been a grunt, he stabbed the last piece of beef. "What's the matter? Your Sugar Daddy have to get home to his wife?" He shoved the fork into his mouth.
Charli's lips twitched with humor. "That's the good part about older men, they leave early."
The bartender appeared with a shot of amber liquid for her. She smiled warmly. "Thanks."
"No problem." Bill took Grant's plate. "How was that steak, Doc?"
He tossed his crumpled napkin on the bar. "Hit the spot, that's for sure. Thanks."
Charli caught the doctor's gaze slide to her bare legs. Purposely, she shifted on the barstool. She really should tell him who she was and not pick on him, but when she caught him staring at her cleavage again, she decided there wasn't any harm in having a bit of fun.
Straightening her back, she lifted her long hair off her neck as if it were heavy, knowing the stretch would cause her breasts and the bottom of her T-shirt to rise. The gold ring in her bellybutton was such a part of her she barely noticed it anymore, but it caught Grant's eye. She let her hair drop back into place. He immediately snapped his head around and fiddled with a toothpick.
Charli leaned across the bar and reached for the small bowl of snack mix. She took her time as she picked through for the fish shaped crackers.
A sharp intake of breath from Grant had her biting back a smile. She straightened on the stool and smiled. "You're a doctor?"
He watched her crunch, his gaze on her mouth so hungry she felt certain he'd be leaning in for a taste. Instead, he shook his head as if to stop the thoughts. A tough guy, huh.
He stuck the toothpick into his mouth. "Yep."
She grinned wider and lowered her lashes. Reaching out, she traced her red fingernail along the back of his hand. "I've got this ache, Doc, that maybe you can help me with?" She paused until he looked at her. Lifting her hand, she slid it up and over her breast before resting on her heart. "Right here."
The color in his face deepened, and he gave a short humorless laugh. "Sorry lady,, I'm an animal doctor."
Charli leaned in close and whispered, "I've been known to purr." With a teasing chuckle, she picked up her shot of Jack Daniels and saluted him with it before tossing the liquid back. She closed her eyes and savored the burn as it slid down her throat. She could feel him watching her so she took her time about opening her eyes and meeting his gaze. A second passed, then another. Her blood pulsated in her veins, heating the room a few more degrees. Longer moments passed; she wasn't about to look away first. What was he thinking? Did he feel the zing between them like she did?
A smidgen of guilt tainted the moment. She wasn't being very nice. Grant was a friend of Beth's and she was misleading him.
Without warning, he turned away and slid off his bar stool. "You're coming on to the wrong guy, Red." He opened his wallet and tossed several bills on the bar.
She followed his gaze to where it skimmed her bare thigh, and saw that her skirt had inched up fairly high.
Maybe it was his defiant attitude, but she couldn't resist one more tease. Pouting, she tipped her head. "Leaving already?"
He nodded. "I've had a long day, and I'm going to bed."
She cocked her eyebrow, smiled seductively, and tossed her hair back. "Is that an invitation?" You walked right into that one, Doc, she laughed to herself.
The hesitant indecision that flashed through his eyes created a heated image in her mind of the two of them somewhere much more private. Charli wetted her plump lips. Beth had asked her to cheer her partner up, she rationalized. His eyes narrowed, and she slid her own downward, noting with satisfaction that it wasn't just his chest muscles that were bulging.
The laugh that suddenly erupted from him was so unexpected she was thrown off guard. The transformation of his features was amazing. Handsome turned into deliciously sexy in an instant.
As she chuckled with him, she opened her mouth to let them both off the hook, to tell him who she was and that she wasn't some stranger hitting on him in a bar.
But before she could say anything he shook his head. "Sorry, Red."
He touched the brim of his hat in a way she found incredibly charming and walked away. Charli watched him leave with a mixture of regret and relief.
He glanced back, catching her stare. "I'd say stay out of trouble, but somehow I have a feeling that's your middle name."
He pushed through the door and was gone.
Whew. Wow. Charli let out the breath she'd been holding and sank back to the bar stool. When she offered to help Beth out in the office, even after the description of her grouchy partner, she figured she'd be doing a friend a favor, and as an added bonus, get to spend some extended time on the Double B. She'd had a thing for the cattle ranch's young patriarch, Cord Weston, for years---someday he had to realize what he was missing by keeping her at arms' length. But, in the meantime, working with the very sexy Dr. Clark was not going to be the hardship she once envisioned.
Her lips tilted into a wicked grin. This is going to be fun.
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