Hillbilly Rockstar (26 page)

She broke the lip-lock and murmured, “Better?”

“Some. I'd be a lot better if you were comin' to Nashville with me tomorrow night after the show in Jacksonville.”

She looked at him. “You think you need me as your bodyguard in Nashville during the break?”

Tempting to lie and say yes, that he felt safe only when she was around. He stroked her cheek and opted for the truth. “No. I'd want you in Nashville as my girlfriend.”

“Devin.”

“What? You are my girlfriend and I'll miss you. So is there any chance I can sweet-talk you or sex-hypnotize you into changing your plane ticket?”

“No. Not because it wouldn't be fun, just the two of us getting wild in your hillbilly McMansion in Music City.”

He groaned. “You bein' sweet and funny ain't makin' this easier, woman.”

“I know. But I've already made plans to visit Harper, Bran and the boys.” She kissed him again. “Besides, it's only ten days.”

It'd probably feel like ten years.

“I've gotta meet Reg. But when I come back, you'd better be ready to demonstrate your sex-hypnotism on me.”

L
iberty hated driving her precious car on gravel, but visiting Harper on the Turners' rural Wyoming ranch didn't leave her much choice.

The sparsely populated roads from Denver had allowed her to rod the piss out of her Mustang and test its performance as well as her driving skills.

She pulled up to the stately ranch house. Bran had had his family home completely renovated right after he'd married Harper. She'd been jealous of her sister when she'd heard that Harper finally had a home of her own—more jealous than when Harper had gotten married.

Soon she'd join the ranks of homeowners. She'd touched base with her realtor in the two whirlwind days she'd spent in Denver. But as busy as she'd been, she missed Devin. They'd spent so much time in close quarters that she'd found herself turning around to tell him something only to remember he wasn't there.

The front door opened and Tate raced down the stairs, wearing camo shorts, an Iron Man muscle shirt and cowboy boots. The little ball of energy launched himself at her, jumping up so he could squeeze his arms around her neck. “Aunt Liberty!”

She held on and closed her eyes; her love for this kid filled her with joy and chased all the clouds away.

“I thought you'd never get here today!”

If the kid only knew how fast she'd driven. “So whatcha been doing while you were waiting on me?”

“Me'n Jake played outside.” He pressed his palms to her cheeks. “Hey, how come you got a piece of blue hair?”

“From eating too many blue snow cones.”

His eyes, the same soft brown as Harper's, squinted with disbelief. Liberty kissed his furrowed brow, then brushed a wavy chunk of hair from his forehead. “Don't tell your mama or she might not let us have any.”

“I won't.” He squeezed her one more time, yammering a mile a minute.

Harper paused on the porch, a sleepy-looking Jake curled into her. She kissed his blond head and hoisted him higher on her hip. “You must've been speeding if you're already here. I wasn't expecting you yet.”

Liberty scrutinized her sister. The woman was as beautiful as ever.

Tate wiggled to be let down, and Liberty scaled the porch steps to hug her sister and nephew. “You'd think I'd be used to what a knockout you are, but I swear you look better every time I see you.”

“Oh, pooh.” Harper gave Liberty a head-to-toe inspection. “You're the one who looks great.” She smirked. “I knew that shirt was perfect for you. Love the hair. It's so you.”

“Thanks.” She held her arms out, hoping Jake would let her hold him. But the shy, sleepy-eyed two-year-old clung to his mother.

“Come in. It's cooler inside.”

Tate took her hand and tugged her into the kitchen. “Me'n Mama made dirt cupcakes,” he bragged. “And they have gummy worms on 'em too.”

“
Eww.
Gross. Dirt and worms?”

“They're good.” Tate scrambled onto the kitchen stool and plucked a gummy worm from a frosted cupcake. He then dangled it in front of her lips.

She slurped the worm into her mouth and chewed. “These are much tastier than your dad's fishing worms.”

Tate giggled.

“Coffee with your cupcake?” Harper asked.

“Please. So how's business at Wild West Clothiers?”

“Great. We've become a go-to destination for bargain and Western clothing shoppers. The ads we placed in
Cowboys and Indians
magazine last year helped propel us to the next level. Now Tierney is pushing me to have
a bigger online presence. But adding new merchandise and removing sold merchandise from the Web site would be a full-time job. I've been reluctant
to hire anyone because I'm happy with how it is now. But Tierney always sees dollar signs first.” She smiled. “How weird is it that for the first time in my life that's not something I care about?”

“You're in a good place. I wouldn't want to upset the balance either.”

“I'm only working about twenty hours a week.”

“Who's working for you the rest of the time?”

“Zinnia was full-time, but after she had her baby, she wanted to work part-time. Did you ever meet Harlow, Tierney's sister? She filled in the summer Jake was born?”

“No.”

“She returned to Chicago when I came back from maternity leave. She was visiting here at Christmas and we got to talking . . . Anyway, long story short, she relocated and in the past six months she's really stepped up her game. Now she's indispensable to me.” Harper sighed. “While I love the store and it's been a challenge to grow it, I miss my boys when I'm away from them.”

By “boys,” Liberty knew Harper included Bran.

“Won't be too long before they're in school. So I'm in no hurry to expand.” She refocused. “How about you? How's your latest job?”

Liberty wished she could talk to Harper about Devin, but that'd break every professional rule she'd promised to uphold, regardless of whether she wanted personal advice. So she'd have to figure out the
am I really in love with him?
question on her own. And why she continued to torture herself with visions of the future with him, when they didn't have a real future.

“Lib?” Harper prompted.

She managed a smile. “This last assignment has been grueling, as far as the travel.”

“I wish you could stay longer than a couple of days, but I'll take what I can get.” Harper squeezed her with a one-armed hug. “Now go play with Tate. He's been waiting to show you his new barnyard-themed Legos.”

Liberty spent the next hour on the floor, horsing around with her nephews. Literally horsing around, as Tate and Jake turned her into their
personal bucking bronc. Then, after riling them up, she snuggled down with them on the couch and watched DVDs of
Bob the Builder
.

When Bran came home, the boys abandoned her.

“Daddy!”

“Hey, guys. You havin' fun with your aunt?”

Tate shouted, “Yes!” first, followed closely by Jake's “Yeth!”

Bran grinned at Liberty. “Glad you could make it. You're lookin' good.”

“So are you.”

His face lit up when Harper appeared. “Hey, hot mama.” He tugged her against his body and kissed her soundly.

“You're back early. I thought you'd check cattle before you came home.”

“Thought I'd see if the boys and Liberty wanted to ride along.” He ruffled Tate's hair. “Whatcha say, son? Wanna help?”

Tate bounced a couple of times before he announced, “Getting my boots on, Dad.”

“Me too,” Jake said and chased after him.

“Already got them loving ranch work, Bran?” Liberty said dryly.

“Yep. Trick is to make it look like fun and not work.” Bran tucked a hank of hair behind Harper's ear. “You wanna tag along?”

“No. You go.” Harper smirked at Liberty. “You do realize the invite is so you'll open gates, right?”

“I figured as much.”

After donning the boots and the hats both boys insisted they needed to do “ranch work,” they trooped out to Bran's older-model truck.

Liberty didn't see any car seats.

“I know what you're thinkin'; I'm not bein' an irresponsible parent and, yes, Harper lets the boys ride around with me on the ranch without car seats. We don't go more than five miles an hour, since we're just bumping through pastures. We don't go far either. It's just the way it is around here.” He pointed to Jake. “He'll hafta sit on your lap.” Then he said, “Tate, buddy, hang on.”

That's when she noticed the straps hanging from the ceiling. Tate stood in the seat and grabbed the handholds.

Liberty listened to Tate ask ten million questions, and Bran answered
every single one with patience. Jake seemed content just to stare out the window and snuggle into her. The trees still had a tinge of green, but the hot, dry, windy months had turned the vegetation brown. Although the area was beautiful, the vastness spooked her. Out here, it was just the ground, the sagebrush, the sky and the sound of the wind. For miles.

It was strange to think Devin had grown up in this landscape. She remembered he'd told her his mom and dad moved from this area when his sister and her family moved to Laramie. She wanted to ask Bran about Devin. What he was like in his younger years. How much he'd changed after Michelle had died. If any of his friends knew how much Michelle's death had affected him and still haunted him.

“So where are you off to next?” Bran asked.

“There are three weeks left of this assignment and we're hopscotching all over the place.”

“You really can't tell me where you're goin', can you?”

“No. Sorry.”

“But you're happy?”

Seemed an odd thing for Bran to ask. “Working for the company in Denver? Yes. I love it.”

“No guys in your life?”

Liberty opened her mouth. Closed it.

Which caused Bran to grin. “I knew it. Harper claims you'd tell her if you were in a relationship, but I said not if it's something you can't talk about.” He paused as they bumped over a pothole. “Is it some guy you work with?”

“It's a . . . client. Which is ridiculously stupid, but it's just one of those things. I know it won't last, but I can't seem to stop myself from living in the moment with him. Talking about it doesn't help, which is why I haven't said anything to her.”

Bran nodded. “She'll want every detail so she can fix it for you.”

“She can't. If I thought she could, I'd gladly tell her.”

The boys chattered, and Liberty was happy to let the subject die.

After they pulled up to the barn, the boys bounded out of the truck and raced to the house.

Bran paused in front of her. “I hate to take advantage of you bein' here, but I wondered if you could watch the boys for a few hours tonight?”

“Sure. Why?”

“Because I'd like to take my wife out for a relaxed meal at a nice place where there ain't crayons on the table.” He shot her a sheepish look. “That's not a complaint. I love my kids. But I also love their mama, and it's been a while since just me'n her have gone out.”

“I'd love to take care of them.”

“Thanks, Lib. I mean it.”

“It's what favorite aunts do.” She smirked at him. “And you don't have to be home early because your teenage babysitter has to go to school in the morning. Stay out late dancing or . . . whatever.”

He grinned. “Already a two-step ahead of you.”

Harper was taking stock of the refrigerator when they entered the kitchen. “Hope you don't mind leftovers tonight.”

Bran wrapped his arms around Harper from behind. “Why don't you let Liberty decide what's for supper? We're goin' out.”

She spun into his arms. “That's a great idea. Where are we all going?”

He shook his head. “This is just a you'n me thing, princess. It's already been decided. So go on and get ready while the boys help me finish chores.”

Harper hugged him and whispered something in his ear that made Bran smack her ass.

God. These two were ridiculous. But Liberty couldn't help smiling.

Harper took her hand and tugged her toward the stairs. “Come on. Keep me company while I make myself look hot for my man.”

Liberty settled in the sitting area across from the big walk-in closet as Harper started tossing outfits on the bed. “I've never worn some of these. That's the downside of owning a clothing store; I'm always tucking away things for myself.” She held up a purple dress with what looked like a rhinestone collar. “Too much?”

“Yes. You should wear that one.” Liberty pointed to the animal-print dress. “It'll bring out the beast in him.”

“The man is already a beast.” She held up a sleeveless brown dress with gold accents on the bust line. It looked like it'd hug Harper's every curve.

“That's the one.”

Harper smiled and started tossing out pieces of lingerie. Leopard-print crotchless panties slipped off the bed to the floor.

“So since I'm having a romantic dinner with my hubby tonight, I want you to come with me tomorrow night for girls' night out.”

Liberty bit back a groan. “Thanks for the invite, but I don't do well with that kinda stuff.”

“Oh, pooh. You met most of the ladies at my wedding.”

“The . . . older group of ladies who were doing shots?”

“Yep. They're fun, and they'd love to see you again. So would Celia. I don't know if Lainie and Janie can go, but Harlow plans to show up if Tierney doesn't have her babysitting.”

Liberty watched Harper's face. For some reason, this was important to her. “What the hell. I'll go. But I'm not the designated driver.”

Buckeye Joe's hadn't changed since the last time Liberty had been in. It was her kind of place—cheap beer, lots of laughter, friends and neighbors hanging out.