Fox, Morgan - Discovering Temptation [Texas Stallions 1] (Siren Publishing Allure) (11 page)

Tyler chose to ignore his mother’s obvious displeasure that he and his siblings had had little time to spend with her over the last several weeks. He wondered earlier if she might pull the guilt trip mothers are so well equipped to use. If he was lucky, this subtle display might be the only one for the evening, but the gnawing in his guts told him that none of them would be that fortunate.

Cooper grabbed hold of his mother’s hand, taking her from Tyler’s arms and led her toward the kitchen. “I want you to meet Abby, Mom.”

Rounding the corner into the kitchen, they saw the makings of a feast. Tyler couldn’t believe all the work Abby and Sophia were doing to make the meal the best it could be for them. The idea of a family dinner had his heart squeezing. They hadn’t shared a real meal with their mother since before their old man had died. Abby was an angel for putting everything together the way she had, even if deep down he thought it was a bad idea to get so relaxed with a madman on the loose.

Abby turned to face them with a smile. “You must be Mrs. Boyd. I’m so excited to meet you. Your sons are amazing men, and they’ve done a marvelous job with the ranch.”

She offered a soft smile. “I’m so pleased to hear that. They take after their father in that regard.”

“Don’t be so modest, Mom,” Tyler pointed out, stepping up alongside her. “We learned hard work and dedication from you, too.” He shifted his glance from his mother to Abby. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

Abby’s warm smile touched him, tugging at his hardened exterior. “Actually, you can all take a seat at the table. We’re just about ready to eat.”

Tyler helped his mother take the seat beside him, while Cooper sat directly across from her. Strategically, he placed Abby between him and his brother at the head of the table. Hunter sat on the other side of their mother, while Sophia took the seat adjacent to Abby at the other end of the table. One spot remained open for Jared, but he had ventured into town, and Tyler wasn’t sure he’d be able to return for dinner.

The table was displayed as if it were a feast for an army. Fresh-baked rolls, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, and a carved roast that smelled divine. If he wasn’t hungry before, he sure was now. Everything looked so splendid. Truly, the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. Not only was his Abby a beautiful woman, but she could cook, the perfect combination for any man.

Throughout the meal, Tyler couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of Abby. The way she chewed her food, smiled, laughed, and spoke had his blood rushing through his veins at warp speed. The only thing besides Abby he noticed was the way Cooper also glanced at her. He wasn’t as concerned with his youngest brother, Hunter, who sat far enough away, but Cooper was starting to make him think that if he didn’t act soon, he might lose his chance with the woman he desired.

Pinching his brows tight at the bridge of his nose, Tyler compressed his teeth, and flexed the muscles in his jaw. He was practically grinding his teeth into powder. Jealousy was evident in him now, and that was an emotion he hadn’t experienced before. He hadn’t had anything to be jealous over. He was the oldest, the leader of the family now that his father passed, he was the one everyone turned to for guidance. What did he have to be jealous over?

Who was he fooling? He had everything to be jealous of. If he didn’t make a move on Abby soon, he knew for a fact that Cooper would.

Tyler glanced down, clenching the fork tight in his left hand. His eyes slowly drifted to his mother’s forearm. The sleeve of her dress had slid toward her elbow and no longer covered her arms fully.

His eyes narrowed as he stared at his mother’s pale-white flesh. Light-golden-brown bruises marred her skin. He took hold of her arm gently. “Mom, what happened to your arm?”

She twisted out of his grasp and fixed the material so it slid back into place. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just some stranger that wasn’t happy to have his coffee freshened.”

His eyes rounded. “That doesn’t look like nothing to me,” he snapped. “It looks like he grabbed a hold of you and tried to rip off your arm.”

She folded her arm down onto her lap. “Tyler, please don’t make more out of this than it is. I’m fine, really. I haven’t seen him since that night, and it’s not like he’s some deranged stalker or something.”

Silence fell over the table as all eyes shifted around the room. The gears began to move inside his mind. The word “stalker” knocked around an assortment of thoughts. He wondered if it was possible that this man could’ve been the one they were looking for. Could this stranger be the one that attacked Abby, Jared, and that poor woman? Tyler was beginning to think it was highly possible. Currently, nothing should be ignored.

Tyler twisted in his chair to better face his mother. “Mom, what did this man look like?”

She shrugged. “I guess you could say he was attractive. He had movie-star good looks.” She eyed her son. “He was built a lot like you, Tyler, strong frame, but he had blond hair and his eyes were so dark that they appeared almost black.” She bit her lower lip. “He did have creepiness about him, but I just chalked that up to him being mysterious and new in town.”

“When did this happen?” Cooper asked.

Her gaze shifted to Cooper. “I don’t know. I can’t be sure of the exact day, other than it happened weeks ago, right about the time you started working here.”

Tyler’s eyes darted to Abby, and he knew she was putting the pieces together as well. “We should tell the sheriff what Mom just told us. This might be the lead we’ve needed all along.”

Abby nodded.

His mother frowned and asked in a tone that screamed impatience, “Wait, what’s going on here? What are you talking about?”

Hunter wrapped an arm around the back of his mother’s chair. “There have been some events that have happened in town over the last month that have some people on edge,” he told her calmly. “A few people have been attacked, and the sheriff hasn’t had much luck finding out who’s been doing it.”

“Attacked? You know something about these attacks going on?” she asked, her brow narrowing.

“Yes,” Abby said. “My first night in town, I was assaulted in the parking lot at the market. If Tyler hadn’t come along, who knows what would’ve happened to me.”

Tyler stared at Abby as she spoke, his gut knotting as the memory of that night flooded through him. He wanted to reach out and take her hand, but somehow managed to resist temptation.

“Abby wasn’t the only one, Mom. There have been others, and sadly a woman was killed.”

She covered her mouth as she gasped. “Oh my word,” she muttered. “I heard that a few girls were attacked, but killed? Why haven’t you told me sooner? Is this why I haven’t seen any of you recently? Are you afraid he’s going to come back?”

Tyler took his mother’s hand. He knew she would be afraid for them. That was part of the reason he hadn’t wanted to tell her how connected to the situation they were. “We didn’t want to alarm you. I asked the sheriff to keep an eye on you, and he promised he would.”

She scoffed. “So that’s why there’s been someone at the diner every night checking on me. You were afraid this guy might come after me?”

Hunter whispered, “We didn’t want to take any chances.”

Cooper reached over and took Abby’s hand. The moment Tyler watched his brother touch her, he wanted to bat his damn hand away, but it was his own fault for not moving sooner. What the hell was he thinking? He needed to take a chance and stop acting like a damn pussy. So what if she rejected him? He’d still keep an eye on her, and protect her. That would never change.

Cooper said, “We think he is really focused on Abby, but with the three of us here, there’s been no sign of him at all this month.”

“Except the murder of that poor woman,” their mother reminded them.

Abby said softly, “That happened a month ago, Mrs. Boyd, and she was murdered outside of town.”

Her eyes narrowed as if fire was preparing to spring from them. She darted her gaze from Abby back to Tyler. “I don’t like this,” she yelled, staring at him. “Job or no job, I don’t like this one bit. What happens if this monster comes back for her?” His mother’s accusing tone had Abby’s eyes widening. “What if he gets tired of waiting for her to be alone and he ends up killing one of you instead? I won’t risk my sons over something she’s done. It’s not your responsibility to be her bodyguards.”

Abby pulled her hand away from Cooper’s and sat back in her chair with her arms folded in her lap. She glanced down, her lips quivering.

“Mother,” Tyler scolded. “Abby hasn’t done anything to deserve this. It’s not her fault this sick bastard attacked her.”

His mother shook her head. “I don’t want my boys ending up like their father. I couldn’t bear it if you did.” She tossed her napkins onto her plate. “I won’t allow you to be here anymore. This is not the life I want for my boys.”

Cooper pushed his plate away in a disgusted manner. “We’re nothing like Father, so don’t compare us.”

“And don’t tell us what we are allowed to do,” Hunter snapped. “You don’t really have the right anymore to dictate what we do. We’re here for several reasons, but mostly we’re here because of Abby. We owe her.”

“You don’t owe her anything,” their mother spat. “You can find a job elsewhere.”

Tyler had had enough of his mother’s ranting and was ready to end the conversation. His temper flared. “I’ve heard enough.” A fierce growl roared from his voice. The deep rasp had everyone looking up at him as he stood. The scraping of the chair behind his legs was loud enough to sound like a bomb exploding. “Mother, as much as I love you, you are no longer the one who makes decisions for this family.” His gaze grew more heated as he watched his mother prepare to interject, but wisely reconsidered. “We will continue working at Paradise Ranch. This is where we belong and, no matter what you believe, Abby Blake saved us from destitution. We will fulfill our obligation to get this property up and running like the prized ranch it once was whether some lunatic is out there or not.” He grasped his mother’s hand. “Never once did fear stop Father from doing what he believed, and damn it, it won’t stop us either.”

He looked over at Abby. “Thank you, Abby. This was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Please excuse me.”

He stepped away from the table and right out the front door. He didn’t want to leave the room, but he knew if he didn’t, he would end up saying more than he should. Anger had gotten the best of him. Remaining calm until the last moment had been a trait he picked up from his old man, and it truly came in handy, because whenever he did speak his mind, everyone listened.

Looking up into the starlit sky, he wanted more than anything to have some peace and tranquility in his life. He worked his ass off for his father only to lose everything and basically had to start over. He’d foregone finding any kind of steady relationship for fear that he simply wouldn’t have time. Now, as he stood on the porch of Paradise Ranch, he prayed that his fate had finally changed. Abby Blake was more than just his employer, she was a woman he could see spending the rest of his days with. She was genuine, warm, caring, and so damn sexy. It was well past time for him to start living his life for himself and stop worrying so much about his mother and brothers. He was ready to start having a life, desperate to achieve a life as a rancher, lover, husband, and maybe if it wasn’t already too late, a father.

Leaning against the porch railing, he closed his eyes and remembered the fear his mother had for them. He knew his mother to be an angel with a big heart, and there was no question that she loved them. He also knew she only wanted the best for her sons, but he couldn’t allow her to hurt Abby with her coarse, hateful words.

The creak of the front door told him someone had followed him outside. The scent of his mother’s soft floral perfume surrounded him.

“I’m sorry, Tyler,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to say those hurtful things.”

Yes, she did
. She spoke from her heart, even if it was out of fear. He knew his mother too well.

She brushed her hand over his back in a loving caress. “I’ve watched the way you look at her,” she murmured. “I can see how much you care for her.”