Love Inspired February 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: The Cowboy's Reunited Family\The Forest Ranger's Return\Mommy Wanted (33 page)

She quirked a brow at him. “What do you mean?”

He stepped past her and picked up the toolbox. “Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it right now.”

He stepped down off the platform and headed toward the path leading back to the ranch. Julie watched him go, her thoughts a riot of unease. What did he mean? What was he planning to do? And why was it such a covert affair?

Oh, she didn't like this situation. No, not at all. She had strong feelings for Dal. She could no longer deny it. She'd pushed him away many years ago. Out of embarrassment and to protect him from being hurt, too. Now she wanted to be with him all the time. When she was alone, she was always thinking about him. She couldn't get him off her mind. But that would have to change. And soon.

Chapter Fourteen

T
he moment Dal stepped inside the bowling alley on Saturday night, he knew he shouldn't be there. A fun night out, Cade had said. With just him and Lyn. Kristen was old enough to babysit Marcus and Clarisse for a few hours. The adults would eat pizza, bowl a few games and have a few laughs. An evening free from work and responsibilities. What could it hurt?

As he retrieved his bowling shoes and stepped past the main counter, Dal looked across the expanse of bowling lanes. The crash of pins being knocked down filled the air, along with happy chatter from patrons and the acrid scent of spicy hot wings.

Cade sat at the square desk of a bowling lane, no doubt setting up their scoring sheet. Seeing his friend, Dal took a step in that direction. Julie's name flashed across the overhead screen. Dal froze. The bottoms of his shoes seemed stuck to the floor. He couldn't move. Couldn't take a deep breath.

He scanned the bowling alley, his gaze screeching to a halt when he saw Julie. She stood beside Lyn in front of a rack of bowling balls. The two women laughed together as they hefted several of the balls, testing the weight and comfort in their hands.

Julie looked up and met his gaze. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. Her hand swung downward to her side, the ten-pound bowling ball hanging loose from three of her fingers. And then Dal knew. Cade had set them both up. Julie hadn't known Dal would be here, either. But now that they'd seen each other, it would be awkward to try to escape gracefully.

“Hi, Dal!” Lyn called with a smile.

Hearing his wife's greeting, Cade turned, caught sight of Dal and waved an arm. “Hi, buddy. Come on over. I've got the scorecard all set up and ready to go. The pizza will be here momentarily.”

Dal fumed silently. He was half tempted to ignore his meddling friends and turn and walk straight out the door. But this wasn't Julie's fault. And no matter how much Dal sought to avoid her, he couldn't bring himself to hurt her intentionally.

Tossing an angry glare at Cade, Dal crossed to their lane and stepped down into the seating area. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to sit through an evening of bowling and eating pizza with his two best friends and the woman of his dreams. Not so unpleasant, under normal circumstances. But Dal figured it would be pure torture. Being near Julie. Laughing and having fun. And not being able to tell her how he really felt about her. He silently prayed he could make it through the evening.

Such a strange turn of events. When he'd first met Julie again that day she'd sprained her ankle, he'd had a zillion questions for her, had been eager to renew their friendship. But now he wanted to stay away. Because he loved her. Because he had nothing to offer her. Just a broken and scarred body. Pursuing Julie now would only bring both of them more pain.

“Hi, Dal,” Julie greeted him with a tentative smile.

Dal hated the hesitant look in her eyes, knowing she must sense his reticence. “Hi, Jules.”

Her smile widened, and he thought she kind of liked him to call her by that name. It seemed too familiar. The name had slipped out, a memory of when they'd been two naive, innocent kids.

“I figured we could play teams.” Cade completely ignored the withering stare Dal turned on him. “Dal and Julie will play against Lyn and me.”

Julie took a slow inhale and tilted her head toward Dal in a shy glance. “I hope you don't regret having me as your partner. I haven't bowled in years, and I doubt I'm very good.”

He regretted it already. Not because of her, but because of what she made him feel. And yet, because he loved her, he couldn't bring himself to do anything but encourage her. “Don't worry. You'll do just fine.”

Going to the racks, he quickly chose a worn, sixteen-pound urethane ball and set it in the return area of their lane. On his way back to the seats, he leaned over Cade's shoulder and whispered for his ears alone. “Don't think you're off the hook, pal. You and me are gonna have a long chat later tonight, once we're alone.”

Throwing back his head, Cade laughed. “Oh, I can't wait.”

Dal tossed him a hefty glower that didn't seem to dent Cade's enthusiasm in the least. Dal noticed the two women's quizzical expressions and looked away. Julie didn't say anything and Lyn quickly changed the subject. No doubt she was in on Cade's scheme to get him and Julie together.

“Why don't we take a few practice frames? You want to go first, Julie?” Lyn sat on the hard-backed bench and crossed her legs.

“Okay.” Julie stood and held her right hand over the air vent to dry any moisture off her fingers. Dressed in knee-length capris, she wore a lavender shirt with short sleeves. White socks hugged her trim ankles, her feet encased in a pair of drab brown-striped shoes issued by the bowling alley. Instead of her normal ponytail, she wore her long hair loose around her shoulders. Feminine and pretty.

And Dal couldn't take his eyes off her.

He blinked as she carefully pressed her fingers into the holes and picked up her ball. With the tip of her tongue pressed against her upper lip, she stepped over to the approach, supporting the heavy ball with both hands. She paused as she sighted down the lane, then ran a bit toward the foul line, drew back her arm and let the ball fly. Dal caught himself staring at her slender legs and looked away. The ball thudded onto the lane and promptly rolled into the gutter.

Julie groaned and whirled around, her face a contortion of disgust. Her eyes met his in a repentant smile. “Don't say I didn't warn you.”

“Don't worry,” he encouraged. “You're just warming up.”

When her ball returned, she tried again, with the same results. A gutter ball.

Without a word, she returned to the seats and plopped down beside him. He caught the delicate fragrance of her shampoo and tried not to inhale too deeply.

No one spoke as Lyn took her practice turn. On her first roll, she knocked down eight pins, but missed the last two on her second throw.

“Good try!” Cade gave a loud whoop. As he stood to take his turn, he hugged his wife tight, whispering something in her ear. She giggled and swatted his shoulder.

And Dal wished he dared act that way with Julie. Like a real couple. Like they were in love and had the world in the palm of their hands.

Dal went last, frustrated enough to throw a strong, spinning ball that battered down all the pins in one strike.

Julie clapped and cheered for him. In spite of his anger at Cade, Dal couldn't help being pleased. It'd been a long time since he'd been out on a date with a beautiful woman, and his fear warred with his desire to be with Julie.

They soon started the game. This time, they would keep score. With concentration creasing her brow, Julie launched her ball toward the pin deck, but it rolled straight into the gutter. She stood there, a frown marring her brow. Dal couldn't stand to see her so dejected.

Walking over to her, he handed her another ball. Then he proceeded to give her some pointers. He stood with his chest close to her back, his arms around her to help support the ball. As he showed her how to draw her arm back straight, tendrils of her clean, lemon-scented hair tickled his chin. She turned her face to the side, listening to his instructions. His lips brushed against her warm cheek. A blast of awareness swept through him. Like a lightning rod, he zoned in on her magnetic attraction.

“Okay, thanks. I think I can do it now,” she whispered.

He stepped away and watched while she swung back her arm and let the ball fly down the alley. An explosion of sound filled the air as the ball plowed into the pins, knocking over all but one.

“Yes! I did it. Thank you, Dal.” She gave a little hop and fisted her right hand in the air.

Twirling around, she sought his gaze. He caught the eager glint in her eyes, the hope for his approval. He couldn't help returning her wide smile.

“That's what I'm talking about. Well done,” he said.

She beamed, her face glowing like an angel's. He felt beyond proud of her accomplishment. Above all else, he wanted this woman to succeed. To be happy. It wouldn't do himself or her any good to scowl and act grumpy just because Cade had set them up on a blind date without their knowledge.

On her next go-around, Julie stood poised with her right hand over the air vent, waiting for the conveyer to do its work. When her ball appeared, she picked it up and stepped over to the line. She ran up to the line in a way that was distinctly her own style, and Dal gawked at the gentle swing of her hips. Again, he looked away, but not for long. At the thud of the ball, he stood and watched with rapt attention as it swept down the shiny planks of hard maple and struck the last pin.

“Yay!” She hopped up and down.

“That's my girl,” he called, delighted by her efforts.

Then he realized what he'd said and clamped his mouth shut. He must remain alert and be careful with his words. He must maintain control. For both of their good.

“I'm afraid we might be in trouble. These two are pretty good.” Lyn smiled at her husband.

“Julie's a fast learner. The pressure is on.” Cade glanced at Dal. “Your turn, buddy.”

“I'm not your buddy tonight. This is war,” Dal growled as he retrieved his bowling ball and moved over to the approach. With a powerful swing, he stepped forward and launched the ball down the lane.

“Strike!” he called as the pins exploded into a pile. The sweep mechanism pushed the pins backward off the lane.

Turning, he walked to the seating area while Cade logged his score.

“Yep, you're definitely in trouble tonight.” Dal gave his friend a potent look. If he got no other revenge, he planned to beat Cade tonight.

Cade merely smiled good-naturedly and winked at Lyn. “Your turn, hon.”

They all laughed and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Dal couldn't stay upset at Cade for long. They were too close and had a long history together. Since Dal was already here, he might as well have fun. In a way, he felt like a Cinderella man. This evening couldn't last, and when it ended, he'd turn back into a plain old cripple and return to his regular lonely life.

On Dal's third frame, he got another strike—three in a row.

“Turkey!” Julie called buoyantly.

He spun around and spiked one of his brows upward. “Are you calling me a turkey?”

“No, but when you get three strikes in a row, it's called a turkey. Isn't it?”

He laughed. “So it is.”

A short time later, after Dal and Julie had won the first game, they chowed down on an all-meat and cheese pizza. Sitting together in a booth, they laughed as they discussed the funny antics of some of the kids at Sunrise Ranch.

“I can't believe the change in Marcus.” Cade spoke to Dal and Julie. “You two sure have made a difference for him.”

“Yes, that boy is definitely not the same as he used to be,” Lyn agreed. “He's so pleasant and helpful around the ranch lately. His social worker came out to check on him yesterday and said she could hardly believe he was the same child.”

Dal jutted his chin toward Julie. “It was Julie's doing, not mine.”

Julie's face flushed an attractive shade of pink. “I think we all made a difference for Marcus. It wasn't just one person's doing. It takes a village, you know?”

“Yes, it sure does. But you're amazing with the kids, Julie.” Lyn smiled with admiration.

“Thanks,” Julie said.

Cade lifted an arm to wrap around Lyn's shoulders. “So when are we gonna start work on Gilway Trail?”

“The fifth of September,” Julie said.

Dal rested an elbow on the tabletop. “That's kind of late in the year, isn't it?”

She glanced at him, then looked down at her soft drink. “Not really. It's late enough that the harsh summer heat will be gone, but not so late that we'll be dealing with inclement weather. And that's when the Back Country Horsemen can participate. But don't worry. All of the permits are in order, and we should have the trail and campsite finished by the first of October. You should be able to use the trail next summer without any problems.”

“That's great,” Cade said. “You've been a big help to us on that project.”

“You're welcome,” she said.

“Your 5K race is coming up soon, isn't it?” Lyn asked.

Julie nodded. “Yes, in a couple more weeks.”

“Are you two gonna be ready?” Cade asked, looking between her and Dal.

“I am, but I don't know about this guy.” Julie gave a competitive smile and jerked her thumb toward Dal, who sat beside her in the booth.

“For me, it's just fun. It's not about the competition,” Dal said.

“Are you two still running together every morning?” Lyn asked.

Julie took a quick sip of soda from her straw, leaving Dal to answer.

“Um, not lately.” Not liking where this subject might lead, he turned his body out of the booth and placed his feet together before standing. “Well, I'm ready for our next match. Let's get to it.”

Cade chuckled and stood, taking hold of Lyn's hand to help her up. “You think we can beat them this time?”

“Oh, yeah.” She gave him an easy smile.

By the end of the night, the couples were tied.

“Well, that's it for me. I need to get home,” Julie said after the final match.

Standing close beside her, Cade looked at Dal. “Can you drive Julie home? We picked her up, but we really need to get home to the kids now.”

Dal's jaw dropped. Just when he'd thought Cade could not stoop any lower, he was proved wrong.

* * *

Julie didn't say much as Dal drove her home. From the tension in his shoulders, she knew he wasn't happy about it. And she couldn't blame him. Cade and Lyn both meant well, but they were pushing too hard. As much as Julie wished things could be different between them, she realized that Dal wasn't ready to renew their romance. In fact, he might never be ready. And that brought a pang of sorrow to her heart.