Wild Cowboy Ways (27 page)

For a few seconds she wasn't sure that she would ever breathe again. Then she inhaled deeply and said, “Were you going to tell me before we got in this situation?”

One of his shoulders jacked up an inch or two. “I don't know, Allie. I only figured it out tonight and hell, I'm tired of fighting with myself. I know it's only been a few weeks but my mama said that I'd know when the right woman came into my life. And I know so I have to spit it out and say it.”

“That's not so romantic for a man who's got the reputation you do,” she said. “Look, that sign we just passed said it was only two more miles. We could walk that far.”

“Not without frost bite. And my reputation is what scares me, Allie. What if you have second thoughts about someone like me?”

“I won't. I promise,” she whispered.

She loved him, too, but she couldn't say the words. They were there but they wouldn't come out of her mouth.

Ten minutes later she pointed to a flashing vacancy sign above a motel and he eased off the road into a parking lot so deep with snow that his front fender pushed it out of the way like a plow. He brought the truck to a long greasy sliding stop in front of the motel and waded to the office where the lady told him that they had three rooms left. One was a king-size, non-smoking room. The other two were double queens. He opted for the king-size bed and asked if there was a pizza hut that might make deliveries in the bad weather.

“A lot of the town is without power so we filled up real quick. Those that do have electricity are takin' in their relatives and all the businesses are shut down,” she said as she ran a key card through the machine. “Here are your keys and, honey, right not far from your room is the ice machine and vending machines. Soda pop, juice, bottled water in one. Candy, chips, and those cute little energy bars in the other. That's the best I can do for you tonight.”

“Does it take credit cards?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Only takes coins. Need change?”

He flipped a twenty-dollar bill onto the counter. “Turn it all into whatever I need.”

She counted out fifteen single bills, then picked up a plastic cup with the motel logo on the side and filled the thing with five dollars in quarters. “That should do it.”

He picked up the cup. “Thank you. Do you have complimentary toothbrushes and toothpaste? We were traveling to Wichita Falls when this thing hit us. We don't have anything but what we are wearing.”

“Right here, and here's a customer packet with shaving equipment, deodorant, toothbrushes, and such. Holler right loud if you need anything else.” She handed him two bubble packs, each containing a toothbrush and a tiny tube of toothpaste. “Oh, and we do doughnuts, bagels, and coffee for breakfast from six to nine in the morning if my husband can get out to the pastry shop to get them and if it's open.”

Blake started toward the truck to open the door for Allie, but she pushed her way out of it, stepped out into knee-deep snow, and yelled above the howling wind, “Which way?”

He pointed and bent against the swirling cold chilling him to the bone. He found the room, only a couple of doors down from the office, and slipped the key card into the slot, hoping the whole time that the damn thing worked. He could have shouted when the little green light popped on and Allie hurried into the room.

It wasn't the worst room he'd ever rented, but it lacked the luxury of where he would have taken Allie if he'd had a choice. It was warm, had a television and a big comfortable-looking bed. The warmth and bed were more inviting than anything after hunching over that damn steering wheel for what seemed like hours.

“I'll take that trash can and go get supper,” he said. “I'm going to fill it up so if you've got a preference, holler right now.”

“Vending machine?” She removed her gloves and warmed her hands over the wall heater.

“That's right, darlin'. Big juicy hamburger will have to wait until another night. This date has changed course,” he said.

“I don't care. Bring me some of all of it and I'll be happy. I'm so glad that we're safe in a room. Oh, I've got to call Mama. I didn't even tell her which way we were going,” she said all in a rush.

“You call. I'll be back soon as I spend all my money.” He grinned.

Katy answered on the third ring and started talking before Allie could say a single word. “Where are you? If you went north, then find a place and hole up until this horrible storm passes. I swear to God, I've never seen anything like this in our part of the world. It's so bad out there I can't even see the edge of the porch from the window.”

“I'm in Archer City and we've gotten a motel room. It took forever to get this far, but I'm safe and warm and Blake has gone to buy out everything in the vending machine so I'm not going to starve,” she said.

“Stay put and…” The line went completely dead.

When Allie looked at her phone all she got was a no service signal. Evidently, the wind had played havoc with the towers between Archer City and Dry Creek. She laid the phone on the nightstand, removed her coat, and hung it in the closet. An extra blanket, tucked away inside a zippered bag, rested on a fold-up luggage rack. She removed it and tossed it on the bed. Then she kicked off her boots and wet socks and set them under the desk.

A shiver running from her backbone to her toes let her know that the legs of her jeans were every bit as wet as her socks. She undid her belt buckle and shimmied out of the jeans, hung them in the closet, and caught her reflection in the mirror across the room. White cotton bikini underpants when she knew she was going on a real date; she slapped her forehead with her palm.

“Allie, open up, my hands are full and I can't knock,” Blake called out.

She did double time from heater to door and slung it open to find the abominable snowman on the other side. The wet snow had stuck to Blake's eyelashes and his black cowboy hat had an inch lying on the brim. She grabbed his arm, pulled him inside, and slammed the door shut, but not before a gust of wind blasted her with a face full of cold white snow.

She took the trash can full of vending machine goodies from his arms and set it on the desk. “Get undressed. Hang everything in the closet. I'll put a towel on the floor to catch the drip. Then get under the covers, Blake. You have to be chilled to the bone. Even your jeans are soaked.”

His teeth chattered as he reached inside the closet and brought out the rest of the hangers. “I've got a better idea. I'll get undressed in the bathroom and hang all my wet things in the shower, but I will take your advice and get under the covers. I don't think I've ever been this cold and I've ranched through cold winters my whole life. But I do like that outfit. Did you bring it special in your purse in case we had to stay in a motel tonight? This is some first date, Allie.”

“I bet we don't ever forget it.” She smiled.

The black hat came off first and he hung it on the showerhead. Allie fought the urge to hum the stripper song as he removed one article of clothing at a time. When he pushed his jeans down over a bright pink ass, she gasped and he laughed.

“Didn't want anything to slow us down in case I got lucky on our first real date so I came commando,” he explained.

“How did the butt of your jeans get wet?”

He talked on his way to the bed where he threw back the covers and crawled in between them. “It's slippery out there and the soles of my boots don't have the traction that my old work ones do. When I was going to the vending machine, I fell twice.”

“Are you okay?” Dammit! What if he'd cracked his head on something and died out there in the snow and she'd been too stubborn to tell him that she was in love with him? He would have died without knowing and she would have never forgiven herself.

“Nothing hurt that a sexy woman cuddled up next to me in this big bed wouldn't heal.” One hand came out from under the covers to pat the place beside him. “I need body heat so you really should take off those cute little panties and that sweater and the bra.”

“Who says I'm wearing a bra?” she asked. “Maybe I'm going commando in case I get lucky on this first real date.”

“I can see the line of a bra under that sweater, but the picture in my mind is damn sure warmin' me up,” Blake said.

In seconds the rest of her clothing was tossed toward the desk and she was shivering in his arms. “You could have told me the sheets had been stored in the freezer.”

“My love will warm things up real fast,” he said.

She looked up into his green eyes. “About that? Are you sure that what you said wasn't…”

He put a finger over her lips. “You know my reputation, Allie. You know what kind of cowboy I've been. But what you don't know is that I've never, ever said those words to a woman before. Not even the girl I married while on a drunken binge after we'd graduated from high school. I stood there and promised to love, honor, and respect her until death parted us, but I couldn't make myself say those three words.”

“But you were pissed at me,” she said.

“I was.” He yawned. “But it was male pride getting in the way and doubts that I could ever deserve a woman like you.”

“And now?” She pressed even closer to him.

He buried his face in her hair. “Now, I feel free. I'm happy. I can't imagine life without you in it. I was terrified I'd wreck the truck and hurt you, and I'm exhausted, Allie. Can we take a short nap together before we get lucky? I've got the worst adrenaline letdown I've ever had.”

“Me, too. Let's take a short nap.” She still couldn't utter the L word.

“Sleep first, then a fancy vending machine supper, then making love, more sleep, and more vending machine food. Sounds like a good plan to me…” His voice trailed off and his eyes fluttered shut.

The phone setting on the nightstand not two feet from her face woke her. At first, she thought it was the alarm and then she felt Blake's naked body wrapped around her and remembered the whole evening. She opened one eye and checked the clock. It flipped another minute making it 11:11. That meant she could make a wish and it would come true. Sure it was superstition, but she and both her sisters had believed it since they were kids. The first person who saw all four ones lined up on the clock got to make a wish.

She brought one hand out and reached for the remote phone receiver. “Yes?”

“This is the front desk. I got a call from a feller named Deke saying to tell Blake Dawson that he has Shooter at his house. Cell phone towers are down all around us so he couldn't get through to you that way.”

“Thank you,” Allie said.

“Weatherman says that it's supposed to let up by midnight, but I wouldn't bank on the roads being cleared tomorrow. Y'all want me to pencil you in for another night?”

“Yes, please,” Allie said.

“Will do. If you need anything I'm right here all night.”

“What was that all about?” Blake asked.

“Deke has Shooter at his place. Evidently he found out from Mama that we're in the motel in Archer City and got the number to call here so you wouldn't be worried,” she answered.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“Me or Shooter?”

“You.” He grinned.

“Yes, but not for food. I'm reversing the order of the evening. First it's making love, then food, and then we'll talk about the rest. And Blake, I love you, too,” she said. The words came out so slick that she didn't realize she'd said them until his lips were on hers.

B
lake could hardly believe it was already February.  Allie had said that she loved him and things had been good since those three wonderful days in the motel when they'd lived on vending machine food, takeout pizza, and lots of sex. Two weeks had passed since then and their relationship had grown deeper with the passing of each day. The next step was to pop the question and open a pretty red velvet box to reveal a ring, wasn't it?

All those sparkling diamonds displayed in a jewelry store window had always made Blake shield his eyes and hurry across the street. But now a ring was all he could think about. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but was he rushing things? Buying the ring didn't mean he had to give it to her before summer. Six months seemed like the appropriate time to wait after the “I love you” to the “Will you marry me?” He would have months to plan the perfect setting and the ring would be ready for that magical moment.

The plan had to be right because thinking the words didn't give him hives. Only the online jewelry stores had so much to offer that he couldn't choose, and then he worried that he might select something similar to her first wedding rings. He worried with it all afternoon and finally decided the only thing to do was ask Lizzy and hope to hell she didn't pull out the gun from under the counter and start shooting.

“Hey, gorgeous!” he yelled down the hall toward Allie as he and Shooter came through the kitchen door. “I'm going to Lizzy's store. You need me to pick up anything?”

Allie's head bobbed down from an exposed rafter in the living room ceiling. “Not a thing. Lizzy is lonely with Mitch away. Want to ask her to join us for supper at Nadine's tonight?”

“I'll ask her. See you later. Be careful up there.” He blew her a kiss.

Luck was with him. No one was in the store when he arrived that chilly February afternoon.

Lizzy looked up from the counter and smiled. “Fence posts?”

“Wedding rings,” he said.

“I don't sell those things.”

“Lizzy, I love Allie and I want to spend my life with her.”

“Don't tell me. Tell her.”

“I need rings and I need help before I do that.”

Lizzy smiled. “I can't believe I'm saying this but I believe you and I'm happy for you both. Now what can I do?”

Allie sat between Blake and Deke in the back pew at the church on Sunday morning. One arm around her shoulders pulled her close enough to hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. His fingers interlaced with hers shot delicious little tingles throughout her body. This was the man she'd fallen in love with, part dependable and the other part pure sexy pleasure.

The preacher took the podium, opened his Bible, and looked out over the congregation.

Blake squeezed her hand. “Bet he speaks from that love chapter in Corinthians. Valentine's Day is a week from today.”

“As all you folks know, Valentine's Day is next Sunday,” the preacher said.

“Glad I didn't make that bet,” Allie whispered.

“And the ladies tell me that we're having a potluck in the fellowship hall immediately after church that day. Everyone is invited and I'm sure there will be plenty of food. Nadine has said she's not opening the café that day so y'all best plan on having dinner here with us.” He chuckled. “And now if you will open your Bibles to the love chapter in Corinthians and follow along with me while I talk to you about what all love can do in your lives, both in relationships and friendships…”

“Two for two.” Blake kissed her on the earlobe and the tingles turned into hot little sparks.

Allie wished they were anywhere but church. But then the pews were wider than the backseat of his truck and longer than the kitchen table and she was still a church pew virgin. She blushed and Blake chuckled.

“Thinking something that will bring down lightning?” Blake asked.

She brought his ear close to her mouth. “More like it would rain hellfire down through the roof. You ever had sex on a church pew?”

“Pick one out. I'm game if you are,” he said.

The preacher finished his sermon by saying something about love and then said, “Don't forget the social potluck next Sunday and now I'm going to ask Blake Dawson to end our service with the benediction.”

Everyone stood and Blake, bless his cowboy heart, said a two-minute prayer without missing a beat. It couldn't have been easy with the picture Allie had put in his mind, but he managed.

“That was downright mean,” he said as soon as everyone else echoed his Amen at the end of the prayer. “I bet he saw us whispering.”

“I'm just glad he didn't ask me to do it,” Allie said.

Blake was so damn nervous that he could hardly be still during Sunday dinner at Nadine's after church. It had more to do with the ring box in his pocket than the four women sitting around the table with him. Having it in his pocket made him want to put it on her finger.  He wondered how in the world he'd ever wait six months.

“So one more week and Mitch is coming home, right?” Blake asked Lizzy.

She nodded. “The day after Valentine's Day, less than a month from our wedding day. The church is planning a wedding shower the week after he gets home.”

“And where are you going to live?” Blake asked.

“He rents an apartment in Wichita Falls, not far from the church where he hopes to fill the preacher's shoes in the summer when he retires. Right now he helps out when the preacher needs to be gone or wants a week off.”

Blake nodded, his mind on the ring. “And you'll commute to work?”

“It's a distance but…” She shrugged.

“If the weather is bad, she can always stay with us,” Katy said.

“Crazy damn notion if you ask me, which nobody did,” Irene piped up. “They could live halfway between the two places or he could commute but oh, no, not Mitch. He's got to be in control.”

“Granny!” Lizzy exclaimed.

Allie raised an eyebrow in Blake's direction. “Looks like you stirred up a hornets' nest.”

“I'll fix it,” he whispered, and then said, “Miz Irene, can you believe that it's such a beautiful day when two weeks ago the whole area was covered in a foot of snow?”

“It's Texas. If you don't like the weather, stick around. It will change. And the only thing that's dependable in this place is that in the summer it's going to be hotter'n the blue blazes of hell. I'm hungry. Is Nadine having to wring that turkey's neck and pick the feathers before she can make my turkey and dressin' dinner plate?” she answered.

Katy laughed. “At least it won't be that frozen crap that you hate, Mama. I think the waitress is bringing our dinner right now.”

“Well, I hope so. I'd like to live to see my sixtieth birthday.”

“Granny, you will be seventy-one on your birthday,” Lizzy said.

Mary Jo set their plates in front of them. “Be careful. The plates are hot.”

“I'm old, not stupid,” Irene said.

“And don't you look beautiful today.” Mary Jo stopped to give her a hug.

“Granny, you were rude,” Lizzy said.

“For that smartass remark and since you are bound, damned, and determined to marry that worthless son-of-a-bitch, wannabe preacher, you can say grace before we eat this good food.”

Lizzy dropped her chin and said softly, “Father, thank you for this food. Forgive Granny for her dirty language and the rest of us for our sins. Amen.”

“That wasn't a prayer. God didn't even hear that short two sentences,” Irene fussed.

“It's enough, Mama. Eat your dinner,” Katy said.

Irene picked up her fork. “Okay, but if I die tonight and God won't let me in the pearly gates because I ate unblessed food, then I'm going to tell him it's y'all's fault.”

Blake chuckled. “I think I'm fallin' in love with her.”

Irene's head popped up. “Who's fallin' in love with who?”

“No one, Granny. I hear Nadine made cherry pies and she's got ice cream and chocolate syrup,” Allie said.

“I said that I was falling in love with you,” Blake said.

“Bullshit! I'm old. You're not in love with me. You are in love with Allie.”

Blake nodded. “You are right. I have fallen in love with Allie. I'm downright crazy in love with this woman and I don't care who all knows it.”

Irene clapped her hands.

Allie blushed.

“Hey, if you can declare that I'm your boyfriend right here in the middle of this café, I can tell the whole world I'm in love with you in the same place.” Blake leaned to his left, tipped her chin up with his fist, and kissed her right there in public.

“Well, would you look at that, Katy? I think he means it?” Irene giggled.

“I was going to wait for a private moment, but this seems like a perfect place and time.” He pushed back his chair and dropped down on one knee. “Allie Logan, I love you. Plain and simple and I can't imagine life without you. Will you marry me?”

He flipped open a red velvet ring box to reveal a brown diamond solitaire ring surrounded by more than a dozen sparkling clear diamonds. “I chose this because it's the color of your eyes.”

“Yes!” she said without hesitation.

He slipped the ring onto her finger, picked her up out of the chair, and swung her around the floor several times before his lips settled on hers. Most of the folks in the café clapped. The ones who didn't were already talking on their phones.

Later that afternoon, Allie held the ring up to catch the sunlight pouring into the bedroom. “I can't believe you proposed right there in public.”

Blake wrapped his hand around hers and brought the ring to her face. “That brown diamond is the same color as your eyes. Darlin', it was either propose or explode. I knew I wouldn't be able to swallow that good food until I asked you to marry me.”

“We need to talk,” she said.

“Oh, no!” He fell back on the pillows. “I hate it when you say that.”

“Well, we do.”

“Please don't tell me you aren't going to marry me,” he groaned.

“Oh, honey, I'm going to marry you, but I'm fixin' to give you a way out if you don't want to be burdened with what I'm about to say.” She swallowed twice and started three times but the words wouldn't come out. “Hell's bells, Blake, this is tough.”

Blake propped up on an elbow. “Just spit it out.”

“I was married for two years and sexually active for two years before that. We were young and stupid the first two years. After we married we wanted children, but it never happened and Riley said it was my fault,” she said slowly.

“And what has that got to do with us?”

She shrugged. “I'm three days late and we haven't even talked about kids because I told you I couldn't have any. But I've never been late and now I'm thinkin' maybe Riley lied to me about going to the doctor to get tested.” She stopped to catch her breath.

Blake pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “I want kids, but I want you more. If you are pregnant, then I hope it's twins so we'll get a jump on a house full. If you aren't and you really can't have them, then someday in the future we might discuss adoption if you want them.”

She pushed back and let the tears loose to stream down her cheeks. “I love you with my whole heart and what you just said makes me say yes to your proposal all over again. Let's get married this week.”

“Sounds great to me, but don't take the test until afterward. I don't ever want you to feel like I married you because I had to. I'm marrying you because I love you, Allie.” He kissed away her tears.

“You are trying to make a ranch here. A wife wasn't in your four-year plan and I know a baby wasn't.”

“We'll take them when we get them and if we never get them, then we have each other. Did you have your mind set on a big wedding?”

“Hell, no!” she said loudly. “Let's go get a license at the courthouse before Friday, get married on Sunday morning after church, and the potluck can be our reception. I want to be a wife, not a fiancée.”

He laid a hand on her flat stomach. “I love you, Allie.”

“I love you, too, Blake,” she said.