Capturing the Cowboy's Heart (23 page)

“How bad is it?”

Burk swiped a sleeve across his sweat-dampened brow.  “
I got it out, but had I gotten there any later it would have caught and
we would have lost it all.
”

Cade muttered a curse.  “Same as the fence?”

Burk nodded.
  “The sheriff’s on his way.”

The fire had been started on purpose.  He
grabbed for his
wet
clothes
and began pulling them on
.  “Get dressed,
Dalton
,” he called back over his shoulder.  “Playtime’s over.”

C
HAPTER
TEN

Lacy painted on a smile as she started down the narrow hallway to the kitchen.  She had spent a better part of another night tossing and turning, trying to figure out a way to fight her growing attraction to Cade and do what she’d come to do.  She should have gotten her story and been gone by now.  Home in time for the holiday.  Maybe that was the reason for her stalling
.
  It would be her first Thanksgiving without her grandmother.  Her first holiday all alone.  But she’d get through it somehow.  She always did. 

It didn’t help matters that Cade had been avoiding her.  Had been for days as a matter of fact
.  E
ver since that afternoon at the pond.  It was clear what happened between them had shaken him up as much as it had her.  Maybe even stirred up old memories, ones Cade wasn’t prepared to
deal with
.  His silence towards her was proof enough of his regret.  She was no fool.  It was clear that no woman would ever measure up to Karen in Cade’s eyes
and he regretted his actions down at the pond
.

“Thanksgiving,” Cade
muttered, the word carrying
into the hallway from the kitchen.  “What’s there to be thankful about?” 

The bi
tterness in his voice stopped her
dead in her tracks.

“Come on, Cade,”
she heard Burk say
.

“I’m serious,”
the man who’d been plaguing her thoughts
replied.  “Am I supposed to be thankful that I’ve got a rundown ranch, lousy hired help and a pain in the butt reporter breathing down my neck?”

Her
hand flew to her mouth to stifle a cry.  His
angry
words cut deep.  Was that how he still saw her?  Like one of those vultures that dragged his dead wife’s name through the mud?

Lacy
sagged against the wall, her legs threatening to give way beneath her.
  What happened to the man she’d nearly made love with?  Where was his
laughter
?
 
That undeniable desire.  Had she only imagined the
feelings that
had
passed between them that day
?

She’d been so
caught up in her own need to be desired
,
wanted
,
loved
that she’d only seen what she wanted to see. 
Tears filled her eyes. 
How had she allowed it to happen?  How could she love a man who thought of
her
as
one of the ‘bad guys’.  She would always be a
reporter
to him.  Nothing more.

Heart aching,
she
backed away
from the kitchen
. 
A moment ago she had convinced herself she
could handle her emotions, but
that was before Cade’s words had pierced her heart.

She slipped quietly back to her room where she grabbed the pen and tablet she used
for penning n
otes
and
, fighting back a fresh assault of tears, scribbled a message for Cade.

Don’t hold dinner for me.  I’ve got errands
to run.  I won’t be back until late, so don’t
wait up.  And in case you’re wondering, I intend
to be up in time for tomorrow’s chores.

Lacy

Taking the note with her,
she
grabbed her purse and slipped unnoticed out the front door. 

*
             
*
             
*

Cade walked over to the cupboard and yanked the cabinet door open
as another holiday commercial preached about being thankful at that time of year
.

“Yeah, I’m real thankful
,” he muttered as he
reached for a coffee cup.  “I can hardly wait for Christmas to roll around.”

“I’ll tell you what you can be thankful for,” Burk
grumbled
as he crossed the kitchen.  “You can be thankful the bank hasn’t snatched this ranch out from under your nose.  Thankful you’ve got yourself a good friend who’s gonna make you a good ol’ home cooked turkey dinner Thursday.  And did I mention a pretty little reporter who’s willing to put up with your mood shifts to get your story?  One that will bring the Flying T some much needed publicity if you’re not so much of a pain in the ass that you send her running back to
Denver
.”

Cade growled his displeasure.  “When I want your advice, I’ll ask for it.  And as for my Thanksgiving dinner, feel free to give it to
Domino
.  You know I don’t do holidays anymore.”

At the mention of its name, the dog lifted its head to look up at Cade, its tail thumping happily against the hardwood floor.

Burk reached down to scratch the dog’s ears.  “Well, this holiday is going to be different.  Looks like we’re gonna have company.”  Straightening, he walked over to the fridge and opened the door. 

“Dalton’s not company.”

“Okay, go ahead and be a Scrooge.  I can’t wait to read all about it in Lacy’s article.  That ought to help boost sales.”

Burk was right.  Everything he did was under the scrutiny of Lacy’s magazine.  He wasn’t about to give them more to gossip about.  He relented with a deep sigh.  “You’ve made your point.”

“Good.” 
His friend
turned
, his attention returning to the po
rtable
television on the counter
. 
“I
t’s Thanksgiving week.  Who in their right mind wants to watch football?  Why can’t they put a rodeo
marathon or something good like that
?”

Cade sipped at his coffee.  “I reckon it’s tradition.”

Burk sighed as he flipped through the channels.  “Some tradition.”  He pointed at the screen where
It’s a Wonderful Life
was showing.  “Now there’s a movie you could learn from.”

Brow arched, Cade stared at his friend over the rim of his coffee cup.  “How’s that?”

“You know,
that guy
thought his life was all messed up
, too
. 
But he was lucky enough to realize how good he actually had it before it was too late.
”

“Luck?  If it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any at all!  I’ve gotta go grab a shower
.
”
Setting
his coffee cup
down
on the table
, Cade
walked out.

*
             
*
             
*

On her way into town a flashing neon sign caught Lacy’s eye. 
CASH
FOR
CARS
!  WE BUY
AND
SELL
NEW
AND
USED VEHICLES.  TOP DOLLAR PAID! 

S
he slowed her car in front of the
large lot
and bit at her lower lip.  She had to be crazy for even considering this, but
it
was something she needed to do.  Driving around in her grandfather’s ‘Vette was too painful of a reminder of the family she no longer had.  She didn’t want to remember.  Not
anymore
. 

She turned into the lot and parked just outside of a small building that served as the sales office.  Climbing out of the car, she turned and looked at the sporty red convertible for a long time.  Sporty no longer suited the person she had become.  Riding in a fancy car didn’t excite her nearly as much as riding in Cade’s truck had.

“Some car you’ve got there,” a man said behind her. 

She
turned to find a short, stout man
standing there.  He was dressed in
a western shirt, black dress pants and a matching black cowboy hat
.  One of the salesmen she guess, judging by the way he was e
yeing her car.  “Thanks.”

“Lookin
g
to trade it in?”

She glanced back at her car and knew without a doubt that was what she wanted to do.  Maybe she could even use some of the money she’d get for her car to help Cade out and maybe make up for some of the pain her ‘kind’ had caused him.

Lacy nodded.  “Yes, I am.”

She knew her grandfather would understand her decision.  He’d always believed in helping those in need and Cade needed.  Maybe not her, but that didn’t change the fact she had fallen hopelessly in love with him and would do anything to see him happy again.

Less than a half an hour later,
she
drove out of the used car lot in a
n older
Ford
pickup
.  It had been repainted an ungodly shade of baby blue and there were
a few
specks of rust starting on the back bumper, but
other than that it was a solid truck.  And it
was hers.  The biggest plus about the trade was that it
had left her with a good chunk of cash.  Enough to pay off her bills and maybe ease Cade’s financial worries for a few months or so. 

Her next stop was the bank where she made a sizeable payment toward Cade’s mortgage.  Then she headed back out to her newly purchased truck and headed for the only other place she knew in town, with the exception of jail, the Blarney Stone.

The parking lot was empty except for a few dusty old pickups.  Her truck fit right in. 
She
parked and shut off the engine, rubbing her eyes.  They were still burning, not that the crying she had done since leaving Cade’s place had helped anything.  But it was more the combination of the air freshener that hung from the rearview mirror and the bits and pieces of straw on the floor of her
pickup
that had stirred up her allergies.

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the box of allergy medicine she had picked up a few days before and popped one of the capsules into her mouth.  She swallowed it quickly, hoping it wouldn’t take too long to kick in.

Purse slung over her shoulder,
she
headed for the bright green door at the entrance of the Blarney Stone. 

“Hey, Lacy,” Katie greeted with a smile when she stepped into the bar.

At least she wasn’t shooting her daggers like she had the first night they’d met and Katie learned she was a reporter.  “Hello.” 

The bar owner l
ooked past her.  “
Where are the boy
s?”

“They were busy.” 
Avoiding me.
  At least Cade was.
  “I thought I’d stop in and grab a bite to eat.”

“
Sure.  W
hat can I get for you?”
she asked with a smile.

Lacy eyed the dry erase board that hung behind the bar, listing that week’s specials.  “Can I get half of a turkey sandwich?”

Katie laughed. 
“I
can
see living with Cade and Burk hasn’t
rubbed off on you yet
.  Those men practically eat me out of stock when they come
in
for dinner.”

She
forced a smile, unable to speak as another rush of tears threatened to let loose.  Katie couldn’t be more wrong.  Coming to Deep Creek had brought about a lot of changes to her life.  Her aching heart included.

“You look like you could use a drink,” Katie said.

“I think you’re right.”

“Wine cooler?”

“Please.”

“Are you okay?”

Lacy nodded.  “It’s been a long day and my allergies are acting up.”

“You
sure that’s all? 
Cade
hasn’t been being
a knucklehead again
, has he
?”

“Excuse me?”

The redhead laughed softly.  “Sorry.  That’s what Burk calls him sometimes.”  She reached below the bar and pulled a wine cooler out of the icebox.  “Here.  It’s on the house.  And along with that, I owe you an apology.”