Authors: Marin Thomas
The children shook their heads and Conway's chest felt as though it would explode from fear. There was no way Javier could have walked much farther. When he turned the next corner, he spotted a woman standing on a front lawn, holding Javier's hand.
Thank God
. He hurried toward them. When Javier noticed him, he raced to Conway.
Weak with relief Conway dropped to one knee on the sidewalk and hugged the boy. “I'm glad you're okay, buddy.”
“I told him that his mother or father would find him.” The lady held the hand of a ballerina in a pink tutu.
“Thank you for watching out for him,” Conway said.
“Stay by your father now.” The lady smiled then walked off with her daughter.
Conway was so relieved he'd found Javier unharmed that he didn't care if the woman thought they were father and son. “Why did you leave your brother?”
Javier squeezed Conway's neck and sobbed.
“Whoa, buddy. You're safe now.”
“I didn't run off.” Javier's chest shuddered when he took a deep breath. “Mig left me.”
“Mig didn't leave you, Javi. He's still back at the haunted house.”
“I couldn't see him.”
“It's all right. All that matters is you're safe. Let's find your mom.” Instead of holding Javier's hand, Conway scooped him off the ground and carried him. As his heart rate slowed, his thoughts raced. The boy had been lucky tonightâhe could have been abducted by a crazy pedophile. Losing track of Javier was more proof that Conway wasn't meant to be a father. He just couldn't handle the responsibility or worry that came with keeping kids safe.
As he drew closer to the haunted house, Isi hurried toward them. “Javi, where were you?”
Conway set the boy on the ground and Javi shoved Miguel. “You left me!”
“No, I didn't!” Miguel pushed Javier back and the boys tumbled to the ground.
Conway snagged the backs of their costumes, holding them apart while their tiny fists pummeled the air.
“Stop right now or we go home,” Isi said.
“You left me,” Miguel said.
“Did not!”
“Did, too!”
“We're done for the night.” Isi took Javier's hand and motioned for Conway to hold Miguel's, but the kid crossed his arms over his chest and marched off behind his mother and brother.
Conway followed. After a block Miguel whispered, “I didn't leave, Javi.”
“It's easy to lose track of each other in a crowd,” Conway said.
“It's not fair.”
“What's not fair?” Conway slowed his steps so their conversation wouldn't be overheard by Isi and Javier.
“Mom always makes me take care of Javi.”
Conway felt bad for Miguel. He had to find a way to salvage the night. Halloween came once a year and he hated for the boys to go home mad at each other with only a handful of candy in their bags.
When they reached the truck, the twins hopped in back, refusing to speak to each other. Conway pulled away from the curb and said, “I've got an idea.”
“What's that?” Isi asked.
“Have the boys ever been to a drive-in theater?”
“What's a drive-in theater?” Miguel asked.
“A place you can watch movies in your car.” Conway shrugged. “We could see what's playing?”
“But a movie rewards them for being naughty,” Isi said.
“Maybe you could put off their punishment until tomorrow?” Conway pointed to the boys. “They look so sad.”
Isi almost laughed when her sons' mouths pouted and they batted their eyelashes at her. “If we go to the movie that means no TV tomorrow. Understood?”
The twins nodded.
By the time Conway backed into a parking spot at the rear of the drive-in the second movie was beginningâ
Invasion of the Spiders
. He helped the boys out of their booster seats then lifted them into the truck bed.
“I can't hear anything,” Miguel complained.
Conway turned on the outdoor speakers.
“Cool,” Miguel said.
“Yeah, cool.” Javier smiled at his brother and the boys were back to being best friends.
“Who wants popcorn?” Conway asked.
The twins raised their hands.
“What kind of sodas?” Conway asked Isi.
“No soda. They can share a bottle of water.”
Conway left to buy the snacks, and when he returned the twins were lying down and Isi leaned against the cab at the back of the truck bed. He crawled over the boys and joined Isi. They shared a bag of popcorn in silence. It wasn't long before her sons dozed off, and Conway watched Isi instead of the movie. Without thinking, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I've never been to a drive-in,” she said.
“Really?”
“I'm guessing you've broken your fair share of hearts in the back row.”
“You'd guess wrong. You're the first woman I've been with at a drive-in.”
“No way.”
“Yes way. I've been here twice with my brothers when we were younger and once with Dixie after she coerced me into taking her and a group of her junior high friends.”
“I'm your first official drive-in date?” she asked.
“Yes, ma'am.”
“You were always the one who did most of the talking in our relationship,” Isi said. “Now I need your advice.”
“Sure.”
“After my experience with Tyler, I've avoided dating, believing I was better off raising the boys on my own.”
“I sense a
but
coming,” he said.
“But seeing how happy Javi and Mig are after they spend time with you...” She took a deep breath. “Do I need to get out there and start dating again?”
Conway felt a stitch in his side and winced. “It doesn't matter what I think. You have to do what's best for you and the boys.”
“What if I date a guy I like, but the boys don't like him? That could be a disaster. Maybe I should focus on finding a man who wants to be friends but enjoys being with the boys.”
“You know what?” Conway said. “You're nothing like the women I date.”
She laughed. “You just figured that out?”
“Seriously. The women I end up with only think about themselves. You think about the boys.”
“I'm their mother, Conway. The boys will always come first.”
“I understand you wanting the best for Mig and Javi, but what if after a while the guy wants more than friendship from you?”
“That would be great,” she said, surprising Conway. “I'm only telling you this because we're friends and you won't blab to anyone.” She leaned closer. “I haven't had sex since I got pregnant with the boys.”
Wow
.
“I'm in a four-year drought and right now sex with a guy friend seems mighty appealing.”
Conway couldn't shake the image of a faceless man stripping Isi of her clothes.
“It's time I find a man who'll be good for the boys and for me.”
Conway didn't think that was a smart idea at all. “You're the boss,” he said, reluctantly.
“What do you mean?”
He tapped the plastic star on her shirt. “You're in charge.”
“You're right. A sheriff calls the shots.” She smiled. “It's not like I haven't had offers.” She'd been hit on at the bar a number of times. The heat radiating off Conway's body interfered with her concentration. She scooted over until his bare thigh no longer brushed against her leg.
“Aren't you concerned about how the twins will react if you bring home a boyfriend?” Conway asked.
“Not anymore.”
“What changed your mind?”
“You.”
“Me? What did I do?”
“The boys love being with you. It's obvious they're starved for male attention.”
“Whatever guy you date isn't going to be me.”
She punched him playfully in the arm. “You're full of yourself.”
“Hey, I'm being honest.”
“I'm guessing the boys will measure any man I date against you and find him lacking, but you're not going to be here forever.” She snapped her fingers. “Maybe I should date behind the boys' backs until I find the right man to introduce to them to.”
“That's a good idea.” Conway grinned despite his reservations. “I wouldn't want your new man to jeopardize my rock-star status with Javi and Mig.”
Chapter Seven
The first week of November was drawing to a close. Conway stood in the pecan orchard and peered into the canopy of a tree.
“What are we looking for?” Javier asked.
“I'm not sure.” Conway had followed his grandfather through the groves many times and every few trees he'd stop and study the leafy branchesâas if he sensed which ones would yield the most nuts. Conway checked over his shoulder, making sure Miguel remained in sight. That kid was definitely not a farmer. He couldn't stand or sit still for more than a few minutes, unlike Javier who had the patience of Job and did whatever Conway asked of him.
“What do you think, Javi? Is this tree going to drop a lot of nuts when I bring the shaker machine through?”
“I don't see any nuts.”
Conway lifted the boy above his head. “Grab hold of that branch and climb up.”
“Me, too!” Miguel raced toward Conway.
Once Javier had settled on a limb, Conway said, “Don't fall.” The last thing he wanted to do was call Isi and tell her that one of the boys had broken an arm or leg.
Miguel impatiently hopped up and down, waiting his turn. Conway hoisted him into the tree. “Pick a branch and count the nuts on it.”
The boys called out different numbers. After a few seconds, they counted in unison. Javier stumbled at fifty, but Miguel corrected him and they continued until they reached a hundred.
“There's got to be more than a hundred nuts on that branch,” Conway said. The boys ignored him and started a pecan war.
“Hey!” Conway said when he felt a nut ping his head.
The boys giggled as they bombarded each other. Conway scooped a fistful of nuts off the ground and joined the battle. The twins combined forces against Conway and he shouted, “No throwing at the face!” As soon as he turned his back to gather more ammunition, the boys pelted his butt with nuts. “You'll pay for that.”
“Who are you talking to?” Isi walked toward Conway, her gaze scanning the trees.
“Where'd you come from?” Conway couldn't stop staring at her tight-fitting jeansâthe ones that hugged her fanny to perfection and sported tiny tears in the thighs.
“My class was canceled.” She shrugged. “So I drove out here to see my favorite guys before I go to work.” The warmth in her brown eyes convinced Conway that he was included in Isi's group of favorite guys.
“Where are the boys?” She stopped next to him.
“Up here.” Miguel poked his head through the branches.
Isi moved closer but froze when a pecan flew past her face. “Miguel! You better not throw any nuts at me, young man.”
The boys scrambled to a lower branch and Conway lifted them out of the tree and set them on the ground.
Isi threw a pecan at Miguel, hitting him in the chest then she tossed a nut at Javier. “Got you both.”
Miguel collected ammunition from the ground and Conway handed the nuts he'd collected to Javier.
“No fair.” Isi ran off, dodging pecans as the boys chased her through the trees.
“Don't let her get away!” Conway jogged after the group.
The boys' laughter and Isi's squeals filled the groves, reminding Conway of days gone by when he and his siblings had played tag in the orchard. It wasn't long before the twins ran out of gas and stopped, their chests heaving as they sucked in air. Isi bent at the waist, gasping for breath.
“I'm out of shape.” She laughed.
“We helped Conway count pecans,” Javier said.
“And I helped rake the branches.” Miguel neglected to tell his mother that he'd raked for two minutes before handing the chore over to his brother.
“You guys go ask Porter for a drink of water,” Conway said.
“C'mon, Javi, maybe we can share Porter's Skittles.” The boys raced to the bunkhouse.
Isi watched her sons run off. “I thought bunkhouses were like big log cabins not giant metal sheds.”
“The Cash brothers aren't your traditional cowboys.” He grinned.
She scuffed the toe of her shoe in the dirt and he had a hunch she hadn't dropped by the farm for a visit.
“What's on your mind?” he asked.
“I need a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“Would you be willing to stay later than usual tonight to watch the boys?”
“Got a hot date?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
A sudden coldness gripped his chest. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” Frowning, she said, “I told you I wanted to start dating again.”
He thought she'd been venting in the back of his pickup Halloween night. “Who are you going out with?”
“Sean Mason.”
“The name doesn't sound familiar. Does he rodeo?”
“I'm not sure. Sasha set me up with him. He's been to the bar a few times.”
“What else do you know about this guy? You can't be too careful these days,” he said.
“Thank you for being concerned, but I can handle myself.”
“Sure, I'll watch the boys.” He planned to grill
Sean
after he dropped Isi off.
“Thanks.”
The bunkhouse door opened and Javier and Miguel stepped outside, their pockets bulging with candy. “You two be good for Conway.” Isi kissed their cheeks. “And don't forget to brush your teeth tonight.”
“They'll brush twice.” Conway laughed when the twins groaned.
After Isi drove away, he got the weirdest feeling in his gut. He didn't like the idea of her dating a guy she barely knew.
Or maybe he didn't like the idea of Isi datingâperiod.
* * *
T
HIS
DATE
WAS
a bust.
“You wanna dance?” Sean Mason asked.
I'd rather call it a night
. Conway would have pulled out the chair for her, but Sean walked off, expecting her to follow him to the dance floor.
The Desert Lounge in Yuma was a popular dance club where local bands performed for free. The Rattlers provided tonight's entertainment and the middle-aged trioâtwo guitar players and a drummerâsang country music from days gone by. Sean stopped in the middle of the floor and pulled Isi into his arms, then twirled her in circles.
Show off
.
Once her head stopped spinning, she struggled not to squirm. Nothing felt right about Sean. He was too short. She didn't like the spicy scent of his cologne. His hands were soft. And he rarely smiled.
He's not Conway
.
The song ended and the lead singer cleared his throat, the gravelly sound rumbling through the speakers on the stage. “We got any Conway Twitty fans out there tonight?”
Isi's gaze flew to the exit, hoping for the impossibleâConway waltzing through the door.
“Hold your ladies close, cowboysâ” the musician grinned “âbecause...âIt's Only Make Believe.'”
When Sean pulled Isi closer, she braced her palm against his shoulder and locked her elbow to keep their bodies from rubbing against each other. What had possessed her to let Sasha set her up on a date?
Conway
.
She'd wanted to prove her feelings for Conway were those of a girl with a teenage crush and nothing more. The only thing tonight had established was that she'd rather be with Conway.
A couple bumped into Sean's back and Isi cringed when their lower bodies came in contact and she felt the bulge in his jeans. If the cowboy expected her to invite him into her bed, he was in for a big surprise.
After the song ended, the band took a break, but Sean made no move to leave the dance floor. A quarter found its way into the jukebox and they continued dancing. Isi made a second attempt at conversation. “Sasha said you're a wrangler at a local ranch.
“The Flying S.” He didn't elaborate.
Sean hadn't strung more than two sentences together the entire night. Each time she asked him a personal question, he changed the subject. When she attempted to talk about her classes at school, he cut her off and argued that too much education made a person uppity. Who used the word
uppity
anymore? “Any vacation plans for Christmas?”
He shook his head.
She gave up trying to salvage the date. When the song ended, Sean headed back to their table. She'd finished her beer an hour ago, but he hadn't offered to buy her a second. The time on her cell phone showed midnight.
“I better get home,” she said. The boys would be up early in the morning.
Without a word, Sean led the way outside to the parking lot. He hopped into his truckâagain not bothering to open the passenger side door for her.
No wonder women fawned all over Conwayâhe was a true gentleman and knew how to treat a lady.
Sean drove Isi to the Border Town Bar & Grill where she'd left her car. As soon as he shifted the truck into park, she opened her door and flashed a quick smile. No sense lying and telling him she'd enjoyed their date. “'Night.”
She caught a glimpse of his surprised face as she shut the door. Too bad if he expected a good-night kissâConway was the only man she wanted to smooch with. She got into her car and the headlights from Sean's truck moved across her back window when he left the lot.
As Isi drove home, she decided that finding a nice guy to fill the void in her and the boys' lives was going to be more difficult than she thought.
* * *
C
ONWAY
PEERED
BETWEEN
the blinds in the front window of Isi's trailer. He'd put the boys to bed five hours ago then watched a marathon of
Hawaii Five-0
shows on TV. If he heard “Book 'em, Danno” one more time, he'd throw his boot at the wall.
One in the morning. Pretty soon the bars would close down, then where would they goâback to Mason's apartment? Isi was a good mother. She worked hard at school and her job. She deserved to be happy, but not too happyâat least until the end of the semester when his nanny services would no longer be needed.
Isi sleeping with a man bothered him.
No
.
Yes
. Conway's stomach growled. He went into the kitchen and surveyed the contents of the fridge. A few apples and oranges. A plastic container of leftovers. Two gallons of milk and a variety of condiments. The freezer contained a box of waffles, a bag of French fries and a tub of cheap ice cream.
He moved to the cupboards, finally settling on SpaghettiOs and eating them cold from the can. Finished with his snack he stepped outside and sat on the porch. He dug his cell phone from his pocket for the umpteenth time and checked for messagesânone. He was positive that if Isi went to a motel with Mason, she'd let him know she wouldn't be home until morning. Besides, she wasn't the kind of woman to sleep with a guy on the first date.
How do you know?
She hasn't had sex in four years
.
A pair of headlights turned into the mobile-home park. Conway bolted back inside and switched the TV on so she wouldn't know he'd paced the floor waiting for her. He peeked out the window and watched her park beneath the carport. Why hadn't Mason followed her to make sure she'd gotten home safe?
The trailer door opened and Isi stepped inside.
Conway noticed her neat hair and clothes. Her lips weren't even swollen. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until it whooshed from his body.
“What are you smiling at?” She set her purse on the table.
Unwilling to examine why her neat appearance made him happy, he rubbed a hand down his face, erasing his grin. “How was your date?”
Her eyes shimmered with tears.
Uh-oh
. “I take it the evening didn't go well.”
“Hardly.” She made a move to pass by him, but he snagged her arm.
She looked so dejected he couldn't help himselfâhe hugged her. “I'm sorry, Isi.” He wasn't really. “What happened?”
“Sean was a jerk.”
“You want me to beat him up for you?” he said, hoping to coax a smile out of her.
“No.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled closer. “I never got my good-night kiss.”
Don't even think about it
. But that's all he'd done tonightâimagined Isi kissing her date. Ignoring the voice in his head warning him not to overstep his bounds, Conway tilted her chin until she made eye contact with him.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Giving you a good-night kiss.” The scent of faded perfume and warm woman surrounded him, drawing his mouth closer to hers. He hesitated, waiting to see if she'd pull away. She didn't.
He held himself back, keeping the first press of his mouth against her lips light and gentle, reacquainting himself with their flavor. Their softness. When her mouth relaxed beneath his, he eased his tongue inside and tasted her.
She swayed closer, her fingers fluttered over his ribs. A groan rumbled through his chest when her small breasts flattened against him. Could she feel his heart pound?
He was playing with fire, but he relished the burn and deepened the kiss. She didn't shy away. Instead, she grew bolder, engaging in a game of dueling tongues that robbed him of oxygen. He had to end this insanity before he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
He broke off the kiss and stepped back. She stared wide-eyed, pressing her fingers against her moist lips. Neither said a word for the longest time, then she asked, “Do you kiss all your first dates like that?”
“Sorry, I got carried away.” He sensed Isi would have allowed him get a lot carried away if he'd wanted to.
Needing a moment to gather her wits, Isi walked into the kitchen and got a drink of water. Good Lord, Conway's kiss had sucked all the oxygen out of her, leaving her light-headed. She set the empty cup in the sink and faced him. “I'm not giving up.” There had to be a man whose kiss could rock her world the way Conway's had. “Just because Sean turned out to be a dud doesn't mean the next guy will be one, too. I'll ask Sasha if sheâ”