His Hometown Cowgirl (13 page)

Of course, she knew anything could happen to
anyone at anytime. But some jobs carried more risk than others. And
she would much rather live her life with a man who didn't go into
danger every day just by the very nature of his job.

Was that asking too much?

With a deep sigh, she jerked open the truck
door and climbed inside. She just wouldn't think about it,
about
him
, that's all. Pete had been fighting fires for years, and
Kelsey hadn't really worried too much about him. Just like she
didn't worry too much about Uncle Tyler and Aunt Caitlyn flying
their planes for crop-dusting applications and competitions. It was
just something they did.

You said a prayer, then went about your
business.

Kelsey said a little prayer for Pete, then
switched on the radio, jazzing the volume way up so as to drown out
all the worst-case scenarios bombarding her brain courtesy of her
overactive imagination.

She shouldn't have bothered, because it
didn't work. Oh sure. She could fight against the idea of entering
into an official relationship with Pete, except that didn't change
the fact that she still worried about him.

Being around him on a regular basis just
added to her concern. She could refuse to become involved with him
all she wanted, but that didn't change one very important truth: It
might not be official, but for better or worse, she
was
involved with Pete. And she couldn't deny it any longer. She not
only held him in affection, she
loved
him.

Kelsey gripped the steering wheel and tried
to breathe normally, but her lungs seemed to have collapsed. Dear
God in heaven! She was
in love
with Pete Lafferty.

When the hell had that happened?

****

On the Monday after Thanksgiving, Kelsey was
on her way home from the lumberyard in Salt Fork where she'd gone
to pick up the new window for the gift shop at Farmtime Trails.
When she turned off the main highway onto the county road leading
to the compound, she saw a familiar large white dog trotting along
the fence line, nose to the ground, fluffy tail wagging high.

Kelsey shook her head. Pete always threatened
to disembowel Ranger every time he pulled the vanishing act, but he
never did. He loved that dog, even though he talked tough. Just
another thing to love and admire about the man.

With a deep sigh, she pulled to a stop on the
side of the road. Climbing out of the pickup, she stood on the dirt
terrace overlooking the large cotton field on the north farm of the
Diamondback Ranch. The cotton plants and leaves were brown and the
boles were opened wide, revealing the fluffy white fiber that was
one of the main cash crops on the ranch.

She saw her dad walking the terrace,
inspecting the crop, the wind suddenly whipping his Stetson from
his head. He bent to retrieve his hat and when he straightened, he
waved it at Kelsey. She waved back, then pointed toward the fence
line and the errant Siberian Husky.

Austin let out a piercing whistle and the dog
stopped in his tracks. When he saw Austin, Ranger hauled-ass toward
him at full speed. The Husky greeted his rescuer with unabashed
exuberance and a total lack of remorse for straying so far from
home.

Kelsey laughed as she walked along the
terrace to meet her dad and Pete's dog. "Hey Dad! Hey, Ranger!
You're a bad puppy dog, aren't you? No, No. Don't jump. Down!"

She squatted on her haunches and ruffled the
dog's pure white fur, scratching behind his ears, getting puppy
kisses all over her face. She looked up at her father and smiled.
"It's pretty hard to stay mad at him, isn't it?"

Austin shook his head. "That dog's more
trouble than he's worth. I guess I'll drop him off at the airstrip
on my way home. I'm almost finished here."

"No need. You go on with what you're doing."
Kelsey straightened up, keeping a tight hold on Ranger's collar.
"I'll take him back to Pete's."

Austin narrowed his eyes at his daughter.
"You sure about that?"

"Yeah, why?" Kelsey felt her heart kick up a
notch at the unexpected opportunity to see Pete again. She tried
not to let her father detect anything out of the ordinary. She
couldn't help the reaction. She hadn't seen Pete in almost a week.
She wanted to see him. She wanted . . . well, she didn't exactly
know what she wanted. She still hadn't come to grips with the
realization of falling in love with him.

"He hasn't tried any more funny business, has
he?" Austin asked in a gruff voice.

"Aw, Dad. We kissed, okay? But after
discussing the matter, we've agreed we shouldn't get involved.
Everything's good, I promise." The partial truth wasn't exactly a
lie. Circumstances sometimes changed things, right?

"Well, if you're sure," Austin said,
searching her face. "I don't want you to get hurt. Pete Lafferty
has the reputation for playing the field."

Kelsey stepped closer to her father and
kissed his cheek. "I know, Dad. I'll be careful. Try not to worry.
Love you."

"I love you, too, Baby." Austin pulled her
close and hugged her, kissed her forehead, then let her go. "Hey,
have I told you lately how very proud I am of you? I confess I had
my doubts about this agritourism thing you started. I'm glad you've
proved those doubts wrong." He cleared his throat. "Now get going.
That dog won't stand still for much longer."

"Thanks, Dad. Come on, Ranger. Let's get you
home to Pete." She turned to retrace her steps back to her
truck.

"Hey, Kels?"

Kelsey stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"

"Your grandmother's invited Mom, Ruthie and
me to dinner. You'll be there, I hope."

Kelsey smiled. "Is she making chicken and
dumplings?"

"Of course," Austin said with an answering
grin. "That's why she invited us. You know it's one of Theresa's
favorites."

"Mine, too. See you tonight."

As she walked to her pickup, Kelsey breathed
deeply of the fresh West Texas air. The breeze was brisk, and it
looked like thunderclouds were building up in the east. Was it
going to rain at last? The forecast had predicted scattered
showers, but Kelsey didn't hold out much hope. She would believe it
only after it had actually begun to rain.

She glanced back at her dad still standing in
the middle of the field, the rows of white cotton looking soft and
bright all around. She waved to him before continuing on her
way.

"Come on, Ranger." As she stopped near the
truck, Kelsey waited for the familiar ache of sadness to engulf her
heart, as it always did at times like this, but all she felt today
was gladness. Glad she had a wonderful supportive family; glad she
and her cousins had made a success of Farmtime Trails; and glad she
was going to get to see Pete again.

She told herself it was because she was
thankful for his friendship, but she couldn't help wishing that he
might want more than friendship between them. That he would
discover that he loved her, as she now knew she loved him, then
they could spend their lives together.

She might as well wish for the moon. Pete was
a heartbreaker with a capital H. Loving Pete would only lead to
trouble. Her heart had barely recovered from her loss of Chris.
Pete didn't know how to do forever. And neither of them wanted to
cause the other pain. So to keep on being friends was the only
viable relationship for them to pursue. It was the sensible thing
to do.

A little voice deep inside whispered that she
was tired of being sensible. Tired of being sad and lonely.

Opening the truck door, Kelsey waited for
Ranger to jump inside. Climbing in after the mischievous Husky, she
turned the key in the ignition and drove down the dirt road to the
highway again. Toward Lone Star Wings. Toward Pete Lafferty.

****

Where was that damn dog?

Pete stood on the front porch of his
apartment and looked at the empty dog run at the side of the hangar
where he'd secured Ranger while he went to work. Ranger had dug out
again. Well, hell. He'd have to go search for him just as soon as
he grabbed a bite to eat.

After flying chemical applications all
morning up near the Caprock, Pete had flown home for lunch and to
check on the dog, only to find Ranger gone off once again.

That damn dog was going to be the death of
him yet. His escape artist tricks were getting mighty old, mighty
fast. He should be named Houdini. He should be chained up so he
couldn't go off as he was wont to do.

Yeah right, Lafferty. Like you'd do that to
the dog. Locking him in the dog run was bad enough.

Pete was making himself a sandwich when he
heard the crunch of wheels on the gravel outside. Who could that be
at this time of day? Had someone found Ranger and brought him home?
Could he be so lucky?

The knock on the door and the whimper of a
dog confirmed that today was indeed his lucky day. But Ranger's
luck had just run out. Oh yeah, the recalcitrant pooch was in big
trouble. Very big trouble.

Pete jerked open the door and before his mind
could register the fact that it was Kelsey standing on his porch,
Ranger jumped up, nearly knocking him on his butt. The large dog
landed his front paws on Pete's chest, greeting him like a
long-lost friend, barking loudly, licking his face, tail wagging
furiously.

"Oh dear, he's not a bit remorseful, is he?"
Kelsey laughed. It sounded good. Pete hadn't realized how much he'd
missed her easy laughter since she'd returned to the ranch with
that cloud of tragedy hanging over her. The kid had had a tough
time of it. He had no business adding to her troubles.

Pete pushed Ranger's paws away and told him
to sit. "No, he's not a bit remorseful. What I ought to do is beat
him to within an inch of his life. Ought to, but won't. Where'd you
find him?"

"Up on the north farm. He was intent on
making a clean getaway, but Dad happened to be there and whistled,
and you know how crazy Ranger is about Dad--."

"About as crazy as he is about you," Pete
said. As crazy about you as
I
am, he thought.

Kelsey grinned. "Well, yeah. Anyway, he came
running to us right away. And here we are."

"And here you are." Pete crammed his hands
into his jeans' pockets to keep from reaching out and touching her.
His groin pulsed with awareness. Oh yeah, he was crazy about her
all right.

Clenching his jaw, he tried desperately to
pull rein on the unadulterated lust threatening to consume him. It
was a difficult struggle, but after a moment he managed. "Hey, have
you eaten yet?" he asked. "I'm making a sandwich. You're welcome to
join me."

Where the hell had that come from? He should
be sending her on her way, not inviting her and temptation
inside.

Kelsey frowned, and he hated how the joy in
her eyes dimmed somewhat. She took a step back. "I . . . I don't
know, Pete. Looks like it's finally going to rain. I should
probably get on back to work. I just wanted to return Ranger to
you."

"Aw, come on, honey. It's just lunch. We're
still friends, aren't we? I promise I won't bite."
Unless you
want me to.
But of course, he didn't say that. Hell, he
shouldn't even think it. But there it was.

She lifted her chin. "All right, you talked
me into it. I
am
starving."

Pete held the door open and Ranger bounded in
ahead of them, making a beeline to his water bowl and slurping
noisily. Kelsey followed at a slower pace, not exactly dragging her
feet, but she wasn't skipping with joy, either. She walked ahead of
Pete, glancing back at him once or twice, hesitation and caution
evident in her dark blue eyes.

Once she reached the kitchen, she stopped to
allow Pete to pass. A whiff of Kelsey's perfume almost made Pete
groan aloud. His intense physical reaction to her was incredible.
He'd never wanted a woman like he wanted,
needed
Kelsey
McCade. It was like his body craved her, hungered for her, couldn't
carry on without her. He felt incomplete when he didn't see her for
any length of time. And now with her here in his apartment, her
presence fed something deep inside of him, something he'd never
felt for any woman in his entire life. Something he was pretty sure
he didn't want to examine too closely.

He walked over to the table, cleared off a
space and pulled out a chair. "Take a seat. I have roast beef,
turkey and Swiss cheese. What'll it be?"

Kelsey sat down. "Roast beef and Swiss is
fine. Can I do anything to help?"

"Just sit there and look pretty."

Kelsey smiled. "That sounds a little
chauvinistic, but I'll take it as a compliment."

Pete looked over his shoulder, glad to see
the smile on her face. "I meant it that way."

"Okay, then."

He finished making the sandwiches and set two
paper plates, a jar of pickles, and a bag of chips on the table.
After pouring tall glasses of iced tea, he seated himself across
from her and dug in, trying to keep his attention on his food
instead of the very desirable woman sitting across from him.

Ranger plopped down near the table and begged
for food.

"I don't think so, buddy," Pete said. "Go sit
down. Go on, now."

One more whimper, one more reprimand, and
Ranger trotted off to lay on his pillow in the living room, leaving
Pete and Kelsey to eat their lunch in peace.

"He really is a good dog in a lot of ways,"
Kelsey said, taking a sip of tea. "If you don't count his tendency
to run away, that is."

Pete fished a pickle from the jar, focusing
on his task. "Yeah, if not for that one bad habit, he'd be
great."

"Well, he would. He's very smart." She bit
into her sandwich, and Pete felt her eyes on him. He kept his own
gaze lowered. They ate their lunch in silence, not exactly awkward,
but tense. Very tense. His whole body was tense, especially one
specific part.