Convincing the Rancher (28 page)

* * *

A
FTER
D
EVIN WAS
in bed, Tess and Slaid curled up on the couch, watching the fire. It was cozy and perfect as Tess lay against his broad chest, listening to his heart thumping, so steady and reassuring. She yawned and sat up. “I should leave, Slaid, or I’ll be too sleepy to go home.”

“Stay,” he murmured, pulling her back down to him.

She turned to look at him and he grinned at her, slow and lazy and suggesting all kinds of possibilities.

“Is that okay? For Devin?”

“I don’t know. At least stay for a while.”

He picked her up as if she weighed nothing and carried her to his bedroom. She buried her face in his neck, inhaling his spicy, masculine scent, and with that her last speck of hesitation vanished. She kissed him and he set her on the bed, locked the bedroom door and turned on a small lamp on his dresser. The room became a soothing mosaic of light and shadow.

He pulled off his T-shirt, and Tess drank in the sight of him. The sculpted muscles, the bulk of his chest, his shoulders, arms, and then she couldn’t wait. She got up, walked over and ran her hands across his skin. He shivered slightly, but smiled at her, letting her explore his upper body with her hands, and then her mouth.

When he pulled her sweater over her head, it was his turn to look, and he did, surveying her deep blue lace bra, trailing his hands down her arms, along her waist. He ran his fingers under her breasts, around their full curve, and then his mouth came down on hers. She reached her arms around his neck, pulling herself as close as she could.

“You’re incredible,” she said, so intent on holding him that she barely noticed when he walked her gently backward to his bed. Her entire focus was on her own need to be close to him, to better learn the shape and feel of him.

When he lay her back on the bed, she pulled away so she could touch him, giving herself room to trace the bulk of his muscles and the lines that defined them, down his chest, over his arms. For once she wasn’t racing to fulfill all the desire inside. She wanted to know him, to memorize the way his biceps angled down to his elbow, the way the dusting of hair on his chest tickled.

She loved him. Combined with all her physical cravings was a deep, emotional desire to be as close to this kind and generous man as possible. She was different and everything felt different—newborn and fresh.

She met his eyes. He’d been watching her touch him with a slightly feral curl to his lip, and now he reached out to take her hand and bring her up for a kiss. “I need you, Tess,” he whispered against her mouth, and the words went straight down her spine. He slid her jeans off and came over her on the bed. And she realized that
there
was the danger in all this—that desire would turn to need and it wouldn’t be possible to face the goodbye that was waiting for them right around the corner.

And then he was touching her and the worry was buried in the avalanche of feelings he sent tumbling through her, and all she could do was cling to him, trusting that there’d be a way to pick up the pieces and glue her back together when she shattered.

They dozed off, and when Tess woke up the lamp was still on. She dressed quietly, not wanting to wake Slaid, and wanting to be gone before Devin awoke. Closing the house door as silently as possible behind her, she walked through freezing air and pitch-black darkness to her Jeep.

The first snowflakes hit the windshield as she turned around in the driveway, and she opened her window for a moment to let them in. When she’d arrived in Benson she’d hoped to get back home before the first snowfall. But now she was looking forward to seeing the mountains powdered white.

* * *

W
HEN
S
LAID WOKE
up and found Tess gone his first thought was
Not again
. The early-morning light was streaming dim and gray through the window, and when he looked outside the world was white with a few inches of snow—and then he was worried. He called her cell phone, relieved to hear her very sleepy voice say, “Hi,” and, “I’m fine, thank you very much.” He was pretty sure she’d nearly fallen back asleep by the time she’d hung up, and he took some masculine pride in that. He’d worn her out—not an easy feat with someone as driven as Tess.

He went out into the snow, loving the look of the newly white world, and did the chores. He checked the horses over as he fed them, drove hay out to the cattle, glad he’d brought them in close over the past few days. Then he loaded the truck with more hay to bring to the pastures he leased across the valley before going back inside.

Devin stumbled out for toast and eggs.

“How come Tess didn’t stay the night?” he asked.

Slaid almost dropped the orange juice he was pouring. “Because it’s important to make sure you really know someone well before you have them stay the night.”

Devin took the glass Slaid offered. “Thanks.”

Slaid had a blissful moment where he thought his lame explanation had worked, and then Devin said, “Dad, just let her stay here. You guys are a total couple. And it’s a lot safer than making her drive home in the middle of a snowy night.”

Slaid kept himself busy scrambling eggs as he absorbed Devin’s words. He’d never thought he’d be taking advice from his barely teenage son.

“Well, I don’t ever want to make you uncomfortable, Dev.”

“I like her, Dad.” Devin rolled his eyes, exasperated with having to state the obvious. “She’s totally cool and it’s more fun when she’s around.”

He didn’t know whether to be happy or sad at those words. He worked hard to make things fun for his son. “Well, thanks for telling me. But if you ever feel uncomfortable, you just let me know.”

“Dad. I’m not a little kid anymore! It’s fine.”

Slaid figured that was the equivalent of having a fourteen-year-old’s blessing. “Well, then, would it be okay if I brought her back here today?”

“Yeah. She said she’d help me with my essay anyway.”

His kid had plans with Tess that he didn’t even know about? And it occurred to him that this all felt right, that he and Devin and Tess were quickly becoming a family. But right on the heels of that thought came the understanding that he had an impossible task in front of him. He needed to find a way for Tess to see that, too.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“
I
LOVE YOU.”
Slaid figured he’d tell Tess right away, before she could protest. “I’m in love with you and I want to be with you.”

She’d just stepped out of her Jeep, and he reached behind her to shut the door, hoping that would prevent her from driving off in a panic. He leaned down and kissed her startled lips. She was still for moment, but then kissed him back, her soft lips making him want so much more. But he couldn’t have more. It was the middle of the afternoon and Devin was probably somewhere nearby. A snowball hit Slaid in the back, confirming his suspicions.

“Hi, Tess!” his son called as another snowball sailed over, landing a couple feet away.

“So that’s how it’s gonna be?” Slaid asked, setting Tess aside and reaching for the snowball. He packed it bigger and sent it back, dodging the one Devin sent winging by his ear.

“Snowball fight!” his son hollered, and Tess laughed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her making a ball of her own to toss at his son.

He had a brief moment of satisfaction that she’d sided with him before she landed one on his collar, sending snow down his shirt.

He came at her laughing, tossing snow as fast as he could. And then Devin was at her side, and they were a team, showering him with snowballs and driving him back until he had to take shelter behind Tess’s Jeep, lobbing his frosty ammo over the hood and then ducking down as a rain of snowballs pelted him.

Finally he admitted defeat and made a dash for the house with them on his heels.

“Truce!” he called at the door. “No snowballs in the house!”

“Hot chocolate?” Devin asked hopefully.

“If you make it,” Slaid told him.

“I’m on it.” Devin kicked off his boots and went eagerly into the kitchen. Tess and Slaid removed their coats and boots more slowly.

“So you’re just gonna spring that on me, huh?” she finally asked.

“You mean that I’m in love with you?”

“Yeah, that.”

“Yep. I guess I am.”

She was silent and he waited a few beats more for the words
I love you, too.
It didn’t happen. Sitting next to her on the bench in the mudroom to take off his boots, he watched her out of the corner of his eye as she studied his profile. When he caught her smiling quietly to herself, he knew. She might not be ready to say it, but she felt it. He knew she did.

* * *

D
EVIN WAS SHOWING
Tess how to feed the cows. The problem was, she was scared of cows, so she kept jumping whenever they moved suddenly. But Devin was a great teacher. He had her leading a cow by a halter, throwing the hay into their mangers, and with his encouragement, she even got up the nerve to pet a couple of them.

“I’m amazed.”

She hadn’t heard Slaid come into the barn, but he was right behind them, laughing at her. “Almost speechless.”

“Almost?” she teased him.

“Well, yeah, it’s a rare occasion that I have no words, but this might be one of them. I can safely say that when you showed up in Benson, I never thought I’d see you in my barn, looking after my cattle. And it looks like you haven’t smacked any of them with your scarf.”

Tess laughed, glancing down at where the eggplant wool wrapped around her neck, cow-slobber free. “It’s all Devin. He’s a good teacher.” She glanced at the boy and saw the grin on his face as he coiled up the rope they’d been using. “Speaking of teaching,” she continued, “as soon as we’re done here, we’re going inside. It’s homework time.”

Devin looked at his dad as if he couldn’t believe his luck. “Tess is helping me with my essay.”

Slaid shot her a look of admiration and astonishment. “Normally Devin has to be dragged kicking and screaming to his homework. Tess, you truly are the queen of persuasion.”

“Which is why I’m helping him. He has to write a persuasive essay,” she explained. “I told him he was looking at one of the greatest persuasive writers in history. It
is
my job after all.”

“Yes, and your ability to do it scares me.” He was smiling, but she heard the serious note in his voice.

They hadn’t talked about the windmills in days, but the conflict hung in the air between them. Tess had been working hard to get ready for the final public hearing and she suspected Slaid was, too. She’d noticed the solar panels on his barn were finished and she’d seen several others going up on homes and businesses. She was planning on taking a drive outside of town later today to get a sense of how much success he was having. She wanted to know where he was getting the funding, but now that they were dating, everything felt more complicated. She wasn’t sure what she could ask without prying.

“And we’re having hot chocolate while we write it,” Devin added.

Slaid nodded, and winked at Tess. “Ah, now I understand the enthusiasm. You two get started. I’ll come in a minute and make it for you. I could use a cup of coffee.”

Tess smiled. She well knew why he was tired today. Memories of last night came back... She shivered and glanced over, seeing the heat in Slaid’s gaze.

“Come on, Devin,” she said. “Time to kiss your cows good-night.”

“Ew!” Devin retorted. “That’s gross!”

* * *

S
LAID LISTENED TO
their good-natured banter as they walked off toward the house together, his heart lighter, his spirit happier than he could remember. It made him realize just how much he wanted Tess in his life, forever. And it wasn’t just that he loved her. Tess already felt like more of a partner than Jeannette ever had. And every piece of time and effort she gave to Devin went straight to his heart. How had he lived with his ex-wife for so many years and not even realized she’d had a foot out the door the entire time?

He walked outside and grabbed the wheelbarrow he’d loaded earlier and started down the drive to his compost area. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Tess and Devin almost at the patio, tossing the football between them now as they walked.

He looked up at the solar panels he’d had installed on his barn roof last week. She hadn’t mentioned them since the installation...but
he
needed to. They were becoming a team, and he couldn’t let her walk into the public hearing later this week to present all the benefits of wind power without a heads-up that it was probably going to be pretty chaotic.

In the past couple days, the protest movement had grown so fast that he’d been unable to keep up with it. With the way information spread so quickly on social media, it was impossible to know how many people were planning on attending, but Tess deserved a forewarning that a lot of extra people would be rolling into town. And he was pretty sure the news cameras would follow.

He could at least try to make sure she wasn’t totally blindsided.

And maybe if he did, she could see that he was truly on her side, and she’d trust what was growing between them. And if he did things well enough, he’d get her to stay in Benson, with him, where he was certain that she truly belonged.

* * *

T
ESS WAS PRETTY
sure she was having the best day of her life. It was fun to spend time outdoors on his ranch laughing and joking with Slaid and Devin. And there was snow. Which she thought she’d hate, but it actually made the world very pretty, and somehow warmer. Even though it was cold.

And then there was Devin. What a cool kid. She had no idea kids could be like him. He didn’t even seem to mind a bit that she was dating his dad.

He was funny and sweet, with a little teenage-boy swagger to boot.

And Slaid. His calm, humorous way of being, and the way he just got things done. The way he organized sweet dates for her and the way his hands felt on her skin when...

Glancing at Devin, who was tapping his pencil and biting his lip as he tried to think of a topic sentence for his essay, she decided not to think about sex with his dad right now.