Cowboy's Bride (17 page)

hundred percent red hot male, you cling to
that reputation.
And letting it be known you spent the night with a
woman would tarnish it beyond repair.
We wouldn't want that, now,
would we?
Gosh, somebody might think it would compromise you."

"What are you pushing for, Kalli?
A
commitment?
Marriage?
Hell, I was married.
I won't go that route
again."

"Well, I haven't been married and maybe I
want to be.
But not with someone who doesn't like me.
All I wanted
tonight was for you to sleep over.
We've made love twice now.
Maybe
we could again.
But it would be nice after becoming so close, being
so intimate, just to sleep together."

He stared into her eyes, trying to see her
clearly in the darkness, trying to read the emotions that filled
her.
His eyes revealed nothing.

"Tell me why you don't want to get married
again," she said boldly, holding his gaze in the moonlight.

He scowled, pushing away from her, lying
back on the bed, his eyes staring blindly at the ceiling.
The night
air swirled around him, brushing against his chest, cooling his
anger.
For a long moment he thought back to the years of his
marriage, and a different anger built.

"I'm not going to get myself tied up in
knots over a woman again." Like I'm feeling with you.
"Only to have
her destroy everything by walking away.
It was something I would
never deliberately put myself through again."

Kalli propped herself on one elbow and
leaned toward him, trying to see his expression in the faint
moonlight.
"I thought you said you didn't love her," she said
softly, soothingly.
She longed to hug him, bring him some measure
of comfort.
But she wanted to hear this.
Wanted to understand.

"You don't live with someone for a couple of
years, don't have a kid with her, without some feelings.
I cared
for her.
I thought we'd were committed to build a life together.
Then she left, without a word.
Just up and left.
Left me.
Left
Becky.
I was twenty-two years old.
My grandfather owned the ranch.
I had nothing.
I didn't know anything but ranching and rodeoing.
And then I had a baby to care for – alone."

There was bewilderment as well as pain in
his voice.
Kalli's heart contracted.
She ached for the young man
he'd been, left alone with a baby.
Whatever dreams he had for the
future had gone forever when Alyssa walked out.

For a moment she hated the woman.
Then
reason reasserted itself.
If Alyssa hadn't left, Trace wouldn't be
free now.
And Kalli vowed she would do her best to see he had a
happy future.
One that included her if at all possible.

"I'm not going to marry you, Kalli," he said
quietly.

"No one asked you to," she retorted, trying
to ignore the piercing hurt that struck her.
Stretching out a hand
to rub his chest, longing to throw herself into his arms and hold
him all night long, she only said, "Go home, Trace.
You've spoiled
my mood."

His head turned on the pillow.
She could see
the gleam of his eyes.

"I really was concerned for your
reputation," he said.
"Men get brownie points for sleeping with
women.
It doesn't work the other way around."

"I know."

"Do you want me to stay?"

She hesitated.
She ought to tell him to go.
She ought to tell him not to come back.
She ought to do a lot of
things.
But she would cling to this one night with all her
might.

"Yes, I want you to stay."

"I'll call Maria to let her know I won't be
home."

She nodded.
Waited patiently as he made the
quick call.
Then inched across the bed to lie beside him.
Relief
soaked her when he drew her into his arms and slowly began to
stroke her back again.
At least she'd have this night with the man
she loved.

Trace felt her fall asleep.
Her breath
fanned across his chest, warm and moist.
Her cheek pillowed against
him, her trust in him while she slept a wondrous thing.
He stared
in the night, thinking of the handful of woman in his arms.
She was
an enchanting thing, but such a contrast.
He couldn't figure her
out.
She was too city to stay, yet her determination seemed
endless.
Her enthusiasm was naive, yet appealing.
He gained a fresh
perspective on his life through her eyes.
He knew ranching, but
until recently he hadn't realized how much he really liked it.

What would it be like to sleep with her
every night?
To wake up with her and make love in the early morning
before he had to see to the cattle and the business of running his
spread?
To come home to her at night, to her cooking in the
kitchen, maybe wearing those short shorts she favored?
To take her
to bed and love her until they were exhausted?

It was a long time before Trace fell
asleep.

When Trace awoke the next morning, he was
alone in the big bed.
Dressing quickly, he found a new razor in the
bathroom and used it.
His shirt was on a chair.
Kalli must have
brought it in from the study.
He wondered what he'd find when he
located her.
Would she be clinging and wanting more than he could
give her?
Or would she be more reserved around him now?
God, he
hoped she had no regrets.

He smelled the coffee and headed for the
kitchen.
She was making pancakes and the fragrance of warmed syrup
and coffee filled the kitchen.

"Good morning," she said happily, throwing
him a quick smile and turning back to the rising pancakes on the
griddle.

"Good morning." He came up to her and tilted
her chin to look into her face.
Her sunny smile was normal.
Her
eyes clear and dancing in some kind of amusement.
Thank God, he saw
no regrets.
Trace kissed her.
Kissed her again.

"Do you want pancakes or love?" she asked,
flicking a quick glance at the stove.

Love?
Trace drew back.

"Food.
I'm hungry.
I didn't get any dinner
last night."

"I'd be more concerned if I hadn't seen you
scarf down all those brownies before Becky left.
How many pancakes
can you eat?"

"A dozen." At her startled look, he ran his
gaze up and down her body.
"How many do you eat, short stuff?
One?"

"Shut up or you can fix your own.
Short
jokes are out."

"Yes, ma'am," he said meekly, his eyes
amused.

Now he knew what it would be like to wake up
with her.
She was as happy as a lark, bubbling over with good humor
and anticipation for the day.
Breakfast was delicious, though he
hardly noticed what he ate, he was too enchanted with her to care
about the food.

"You didn't tell me about the hay," she said
as she poured herself a second cup of coffee.
She had finished
eating, but continued to watch Trace put it away.
No wonder he was
so big, he ate as much as her brother Tony.

Trace paused and looked at her.
"What
hay?"

"I understand I have a few acres planted in
alfalfa hay.
It needs to be cut in summer and baled for use in the
winter.
I can even sell some of it, if I get a good crop."

He nodded.

"So why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Didn't come up."

"You're supposed to be teaching me about
ranching.
Isn't that a part of it?"

"Kalli, what are you trying to do, make it
seem as if I'm deliberately keeping something from you?
It isn't
time to cut the hay.
You've got other things to worry about--like
your roundup.
Your finances.
Are you current with the IRS?
Time
enough to get to the hay when it’s time to cut the hay."

"Is there anything else you haven't told
me?" she asked.

"Hell, yes!
There's a lot more you don't
know.
Let's get the roundup out of the way and we'll tackle the
next step.
You can't learn everything about a working ranch in one
day.
I'll teach you what you need to know as we go along."

She nodded, uncertain whether to believe him
or not.
Had he neglected to tell her because it really wasn't
important now?
Or was he only doling out the information be felt
she had to know?
She wasn't ever going to get around the fact he
wanted the Triple T.
How far would he go to get it?

Trace finished eating, drank the last of his
coffee and placed the cup on the table.
"Thanks for breakfast.
You're a good cook."

She smiled.
"Pancakes?
Want to try
fettuccine?"

He nodded.
"Anytime."

"How about tonight?" She held her
breath.

Trace looked at her, his dark eyes knowing,
waiting.

Kalli stood and walked over to him.
Before
she could sit down, he pulled her across his thighs, cradling her
against him.

"Yeah, I'll come again tonight, if you're
sure."

Kissing his jaw, she said, "I'm sure."

"Then I'm going home now, get some things
done there.
What time do you want me back?"

"I don't know, around seven, I guess." The
giddy delight bubbled up in her.
He would be back for dinner.
And
the night.
She could hardly wait for the day to be gone.

"See you then." He kissed her long and hard,
then set her on her feet and rose.
Flicking his finger against her
chin, he left.

Kalli resolutely headed for the study as
soon as the breakfast dishes had been washed.
She would finish the
blasted computer input today if it killed her.
She couldn't wait to
have the reports run and get a clear understanding of where she
stood.
Then she could start to make plans.
See what needed to be
done to assure the future of the Triple T.
For a few minutes she
let herself consider what her staying would mean to Trace.
When
would he believe that she didn't plan to return to Boston?
Would
his attitude toward her change then?
Would he continue to help her
on the ranch?

The real question she wondered about was
would he continue to see her, make love with her.
Or was it a
convoluted way to get her to sell?
She didn't want to believe
that.

* * *

Success!
Several hours later, with a
flourish, she pressed the key to save everything.
She was finished!
All the bills, receipts, payments from the checkbook had been
entered; all the handwritten notes about cows and bulls and sales
were in.
It was a wonderful feeling.
Next month, she'd keep up with
everything every day so she only had a few minutes of work to do at
a time.
That was how the hospital ran.
How she'd handled her
patients' reports, so there wasn't a large amount of paperwork at
any one point.
She knew paperwork was not her thing.
She preferred
people.

"Hello, Kalli." Becky stood in the
doorway.

"Hi, honey.
Come on in.
I didn't hear you
come up.
Of course I was so busy with this blasted computer, I
probably wouldn't have heard your father's truck."

Becky came in, watching Kalli warily.
"My
dad stayed here last night, didn't he?"

Kalli went still.
She couldn't lie to the
child.
But never once had she thought about making his staying
known to Becky.
Suddenly she felt awkward, embarrassed.

"He spends too much time here," Becky said
without waiting for a reply.
"If he didn't have to help you with
this ranch, he could be home working on ours."

"He offered to help me," Kalli said
uncomfortably.