Back Where You Belong (13 page)

“No freakin’ way.” His expression was one of horror.

“All you wear is black or navy. You need variety.”

“And you need your head examined.” He grabbed the black shirt, and seeing one in navy, grabbed it too, shooting his daughter an I-dare-you-to-say-something expression.

When he laid his choices on the counter for the clerk to ring-up, Olivia slapped the lavender shirt on top. “He’ll take this, too.”

“Olivia, have pity.” His voice was one of exasperation and resignation.

She crossed her arms and arched a brown eyebrow. “They have it in apricot.”

“Sweet Jesus, no!” He quickly turned to the cashier grinning from ear to ear over their exchange. “I’ll take these three and no more. You hear?”

Lacy stepped beside Olivia and inclined her head. “That lavender shirt will almost match the lavender sweater you talked me into buying. Odd coincidence, don’t you think?”

A blush kissed the girl’s cheeks. “I think the two of you dressed in the same colors will be awesome.” She pushed her glasses higher on her nose. “For special occasions, you know.”

“Uh-huh. Just what are you up to, my beauty?”

“Daddy’s been so happy this week. I want it to continue. You won’t hurt him will you? He’s been hurt enough already.” Earnest eyes studied her, waiting for a response. Mother hen vibes shimmered off this young girl. The bond between her and her father was visibly strong.

“You’re very protective of your dad. That’s very grown up of you. I could never hurt him.”

After carrying their bags to the van, they trooped to the theater. Olivia and Cassidy sat a few rows up while she and Tyler settled in seats near the back. As promised, he’d gotten her a large tub of popcorn with extra butter.

“What a dangerous combination: Teenagers and shopping malls.” He exhaled a long sigh as his hand scooped some of the snack off the top of the tub. “Have you ever seen anything like those two inside a store?” He motioned with a second fistful in the general direction of the girls. “I swear I just aged ten years.” He shoved more popcorn into his mouth and chewed. “When Olivia held up those torn, frayed jeans with that hellacious price tag, I nearly had a coronary. What’s wrong with plain old Wranglers, I ask you?” He grabbed another handful and crammed it in his mouth. His head tilted as he chewed and thought. “She’s only thirteen. I’ve got—what?—eight, nine more years of this to contend with?” His fist delved into the tub again. “Earrings. My God, she musta bought thirty pair. Hell, she’s only got two ears. And bracelets. Her arm’s only so long.”

Lacy patted his thigh. “Calm down,
Dad
. She’s only young once.”

More popcorn disappeared. “Yeah, but I’ll be broke for life.”

“Frankly, I found today an enlightening experience.” She fought back giggles.

He stilled, his gaze fixed on her. “How so?”

“Big, strong bull rider is putty in the hands of his petite daughter.” She plucked a few kernels of popcorn and ate them, the salty taste a special treat. “She so has you wrapped around her little finger. I never took you for a softie, Tyler Desmond.”

“She wears on me sometimes. I love her to death, but I worry I’m not raising her right.” He grabbed another handful. “I mean, what do I know about girls? They’re so damn emotional, you know?” His jaw chomped in frustration. “Why did she need three pair of sneakers? Tell me that.”

Lacy glanced into the tub, now nearly empty, and laughed. When had he eaten last?

The lights dimmed and previews of coming attractions started. Explosions on the screen caught Tyler’s attention, and for a few minutes he seemed to calm. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. Seeing this side of him was a revelation. Did he really worry about his abilities as a parent? Olivia was bright, polite and charming in her own way. Bossy to an extent, but Lacy imagined one would need to hold her ground living with a strong personality like Tyler. In many ways, he was larger than life.

A few minutes into the movie, she leaned over and whispered, “Did you get any napkins? My fingers are greasy from the butter.”

He stared into her eyes for a few beats. “I’ll take care of it,” he whispered. Even in the darkened theater, his brown eyes twinkled. He coiled his hand around her wrist and brought her fingers to his lips. Slowly, with his eyes locked on hers, he sucked her index finger into his mouth. A warm tongue swirled around it, and desire shot straight to her core.
Oh. My. God. I’m going to have a climax in this theater
.

Her eyes drifted shut, and she clamped her thighs together. The things this cowboy could do to her.

He took a slow, torturous journey on each of her fingers. If she got any hotter, the theater would have an explosion to rival the ones on the screen.

When he finally got through, he wrapped a hand around her neck and drew her in for a kiss. Lips fused and tongues touched. He tasted of butter and popcorn and pure sex.

When he ended the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers. “What are we going to do about us? I can’t bring you to my place, not with an impressionable teenager there. We can’t keep grabbing stolen moments at your house on the rare occasions your grandpa is gone. I’m too old to sneak sex on the seat of my truck.”

“Is our relationship based solely on sex?” Her heart crumbled a little and her chest constricted waiting for his answer. “’Cause, cowboy, I think you could seriously break my heart.” She cupped his cheek. “I guess that’s not very sophisticated of me, to be so open about the extent of my feelings, but open is the only way I know how to be. Grandma used to say if it was worth thinkin’, it was worth sayin’.”

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “God bless Grandma. I love that about you. Your openness and honesty.”

Love? Did he say love?
Surely, he didn’t mean it in the category in which her feelings were closeted.

His warm hand wrapped around her thigh, which only caused more fluttering low in her belly.

“My emotions for you run deep. So deep they damn near scare me.”

Heat from his hand penetrated though her jeans and traveled to her core.

“No. There’s more going on here than sex.” He kissed her again, short nibbles on her lips before he took the kiss deeper and curled the toes in her boots.

Chapter Fifteen

After the movie, Tyler told the girls they had an hour to check out the arcade before the van left for home. He ushered Lacy into a Starbucks for a quiet cup of coffee. “What did you think of the movie?”

She rolled her eyes. “I enjoyed the previews more.”

He was glad she agreed. “Have you ever seen so many pale looking guys in all your life? They need to be out on the range, working and riding horses.”

A warm smile spread, reaching her turquoise eyes. “Spoken like a true Texan.” Something caught her eye and her eyebrows furrowed as her smile evaporated. “Is that the girls coming back already? Olivia looks upset?”

On alert, he swiveled in his chair and watched his daughter. Olivia’s head was down, and she had her arms wrapped around her thin waist in a protective gesture. Cassidy kept shooting looks over her shoulder at whoever was behind them. Both were walking quickly as if to outrun someone. “You’re right. Something’s wrong.” He stood to get a better look at who had them upset.

He expected to see a pervert. Some dirty old man. All he saw were three giggling girls. Maybe whoever disturbed them wasn’t really following. His gaze swept to his little girl when she charged into the Starbucks sitting area.

“I’m ready to go. Now.” Her pointy chin jutted in a pugnacious manner.

He glanced back over his shoulder still seeing no man. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I’m ready to go. So’s Cassidy.”

Lacy turned her concerned gaze on Cassidy. “Who were the girls following you? They look about your age. Friends of yours?” Her voice deceptively calm as she questioned the girl.

Cassidy shot his daughter a look before she shook her head, her long brown hair swirling slightly with her movement. “No, they’re no friends of ours.”

Tyler looked over his shoulder in the direction from which they came.
What the hell is going on?

Olivia’s little shoulders hunched further, almost as if she were folding in on herself. “Daddy, I’m tired. Can we please go?” She was starting to whine, a bad sign.

Lacy took charge of the situation, wrapping her arm around each of the girl’s shoulders. “I’m tired, too, Tyler. These girls nearly shopped me to death. I never thought it could happen, but it did.”

Olivia leaned her head against Lacy and burrowed herself into the strength of her embrace. An odd feeling of loss pervaded his heart. Usually his daughter turned to him when she was upset.

“Hey, whatever you girls want. I’m merely the chauffeur.”

On the way to Lacy’s house, whispers buzzed in the back seat like the drone of bees. The two girls had their heads together, gesturing as they spoke in hushed tones. Meanwhile, Lacy stared straight ahead, her lips pursed in that way she had. What was she thinking?

Finally, as if she’d come to some decision, she swiped a tear running on her cheek. “So be it,” she muttered.

Why the tears? He covered her hand. “You okay, Lacy?”

She nodded. “Just coming out of hiding.”

What did she mean by that?

Then she shifted in her seat to glance back at the girls. “Did your dad tell you what happened to me in college?”

Surprised she’d mention it to the girls, Tyler glanced in his rear view mirror. They’d separated as they shook their heads. Slowly, Lacy shared what she’d been through. As she progressed with her story, both extended hands to clasp Lacy’s, almost as if to offer comfort. Soon, all three were crying.

“You two are the second and third persons I’ve told about this. Your dad was the first, Olivia. I was too ashamed to tell my grandpa or my friends.”

His daughter’s big brown eyes were locked on Lacy’s. “Why did you decide to tell us?”

“Because I like you. I like you a lot. And when I saw your face back at the mall, I saw myself. Do you know that awful internet video is still bringing in viewers? The humiliation never ends, it seems.”

Olivia sat back and crossed her arms. “It’s not fair, is it?”

“No, my beauty, it’s not. Bullies come in all sizes and ages.”

“But you’re not heavy. You’re just extra fluffy.”

Tyler cut his gaze to his rearview mirror. “Now, was that nice?” Would her remark hurt Lacy’s feelings?

“It’s okay, Tyler. I know what she meant, and she meant it from her heart.” Lacy took his daughter’s hand and patted it. “Is someone bullying you? Either of you?” Her gaze swept from one girl to the other.

Why would she ask his little girl such a question? Where would she get an idea like that? Who would pick on his daughter? His heart dropped when a pained sob escaped from his angel.

“Tyler, pull the van over.” There was no mistaking the order in Lacy’s voice.

One quick glance in his rearview mirror, and he eased the vehicle along the side of the road. Lacy jumped out and opened the sliding door. Olivia leaned into her outstretched arms and sobbed while Lacy crawled in to embrace her.

He wanted to beat his fist against the steering wheel as his daughter keened a cry like a wounded animal. A rage, deep and violent, coiled in his stomach and snaked its way through every cell of his being. Who would hurt his little girl like this? Why? For God’s sake, why? And, why the hell was he just now hearing about this? When had his daughter started keeping secrets from him?

He unbuckled his seatbelt and shifted in his seat to watch Lacy comfort his child. A pang of isolation settled in his gut. For years, he and Olivia existed in a rather exclusive world. Granted, her BFF, as she called Cassidy, and his foreman Pete shifted in and out of their lives, but basically it was just him and her. When she had a problem, he was the person she came to, but not with this. It galled him that he’d been shut out of this part of his daughter’s life.

Still, there had been those nights she was sullen and withdrawn. He attributed it to seeing her mother or too much homework or a stage she was going through. He should have questioned her more, should have been more on top of things. Now his little girl had turned to someone else.

“Tyler, how far are we from your ranch? Could we take the girls home and have a talk?”

Paternal protectiveness reared its nasty head. By damn, if his daughter was going to talk to anyone, it would be him. “We’re closer to your place than mine. I’ll take you to the Double L. Olivia and I will talk among ourselves later.” He used the tone of voice his men knew well. The tone of voice that told one and all the subject was not open for discussion or negotiation.

Turquoise eyes narrowed on him for a few long seconds, making him feel like a first class heel.

“Very well.” Lacy closed the van’s sliding door and returned to her seat.

Cold silence filled the vehicle for the remainder of the ride to the Double L.

Tyler felt a portion of himself shrivel and wondered if it was his heart. Or his self-respect.

He shouldn’t have cut Lacy off the way he did, but Olivia was
his
daughter. Not hers. Maybe the idea of dating again wasn’t such a good one. He hadn’t thought it all through. What good was bringing a woman into Olivia’s life for a short spell and allowing his daughter to get close to her? Then, if he was left high and dry again, his child would lose another female figure in her life. How unfair was that?

Damned unfair
. And he wouldn’t do it to her. She’d been his sole responsibility even before Anna Beth finally moved out. Fatherhood was something he took very seriously.

Once they reached the ranch, Olivia finally spoke. “I thought we were taking Lacy out to dinner. Like a real family.”

Tyler winced at the disappointment in her voice. “Not tonight.” He got out of the van to open the back door so he could help Lacy retrieve her purchases.

She yanked them from his grasp. “Goodbye, Tyler.” Anger flared in her eyes. They’d gone from turquoise to stormy blue.