Learning to Ride (6 page)

Tanner stood as
rigid as a stone statue as, for the space of a few seconds, his brain galloped straight to the worst-case scenario. Lord help him—and
her
—if Madeline had aired their dirty laundry to his sharp-as-a-tack, old-fashioned grandmother.

But his logic caught up to his racing thoughts a few heartbeats later. Based on Grandma Letty's cheerful greeting, nothing had been said…yet.

Thank God.

He took a deep breath and forced a tight grin as he tipped his head in greeting toward the women. His grandmother's overly enthusiastic welcome registered at last. Cautiously, he said, “Is that so?”

She looked perfectly innocent as she hurried over to give him a hug, but he knew a matchmaking smile when he saw one, and this one had Cupid written all over it. He almost snorted. As if he needed any more encouragement to make a fool out of himself in front of Madeline.

He allowed his gaze to stray back to the “someone” in question. The mere sight of her standing there when he walked in the door had knocked the air straight from his lungs. What in the world was she doing here in his family's home, looking sexy sweet in her pink jeans and lacy white shirt? He was still mad at her, no matter how cute she looked.

“Yes, sir,” Grandma Letty replied, with a devilish twinkle in her blue eyes. She swept a beckoning hand toward their visitor. “Miss Madeline, you must meet my handsome grandson. He's practically famous, believe it or not.”

When his eyes collided with Madeline's, he mentally implored her to keep her mouth shut about any of their time together. Hell, he'd rather his grandmother not suspect they even knew each other. One whiff of a connection and she was liable to run with it like a dog with a stolen T-bone.

Madeline's expression was unreadable, and that made his pulse quicken. But after only a few seconds, she slid her gaze over to his grandmother and smiled. “You must be very proud to have a famous grandson.”

Tanner's rigid shoulders relaxed. She was clever—there was no lie in her response. His grandmother fairly preened as she nodded and patted his arm. “Proud as a peacock. Well, now that he's retired,” she added. “Leave it to a man to make a career out of riding an ornery beast ten times his weight. This old heart of mine couldn't have taken much more.”

For the first time in years, guilt pricked his conscience over the matter. It had taken his grandmother years to not visibly pale anytime someone mentioned the rodeo, but toward the end of his career, they had come to a cease-fire over the matter. She'd even shown up for his last competition. He didn't want to think on the worry he'd caused her by chasing his dream.

Now, following the last conversation he'd had with Madeline about his choice of career, he felt the old defensiveness set in. The way she was looking at him, with one brow raised in an I-told-you-it-was-crazy sort of way, got his dander up all over again.

Pointedly turning his attention away from her golden gaze, he squeezed his grandmother's hand. “I reckon you'll outlive us all, no matter what I do for a living.”

“We'll leave that up to the good Lord, thank you. I'm just glad to have you back home where you belong.” She turned a smile toward their visitor. “And speaking of home, Madeline is new to town. Now mind your manners and greet her proper-like.”

He suppressed a sigh. There was no escaping now that he was here. Stepping forward, he held out a hand. “Nice of you to come visit, Madeline.”

She glanced down at his hand, looking distinctly surprised by the gesture. After a second, she reached out and slid her hand into his. “Glad to be here, Tanner. Your grandmother is a delight.”

The feel of her soft, warm skin against his work-roughened palms sent a spark of desire through him. It wasn't a welcome sensation, given how they'd last parted. They were all wrong for each other, no matter what his thumping heart had to say about the matter. He quickly broke contact and shoved his hand in his pockets.

“Well, I won't keep you,” he said pointedly.

“Oh, um, I was just about to help clean up,” she replied, shooting a look toward his grandmother. “What can I do?”

“Why don't you gather up the wineglasses while I sit a spell? Tanner here can do the washing.”

His jaw nearly hit the floor. In all his years, he'd never once seen his grandmother accept a guest's offer to clean up. Hell, she'd barely ever accepted his! And here she was, not only shamelessly accepting Madeline's offer, but enlisting Tanner after his nearly twelve-hour workday out in the barn.

Oh, yes, Grandma Letty was definitely in the matchmaking business tonight.

He opened his mouth to say he'd take care of it all, but Madeline beat him to the punch. “Absolutely. Now go relax. Your grandson and I will take care of everything.”

Madeline had seen exactly what Tanner was about to say, and she wasn't going to let it happen. It seemed best to cut him off before he could protest. Her conscience demanded that she apologize for her mean words, and this was probably the best place for it. She didn't want things to get out of hand between them—as things tended to do when Tanner was involved—and standing in his grandmother's kitchen seemed a good place to clear the air.

Ms. Letty smiled wide, patted her hand in thanks, and made a beeline for the living room. She turned on the television, cranking it up loud enough for Madeline to know for certain she was trying to afford them some privacy.

Turning back to the woman's scowling grandson, she said, “I'm happy to do the washing, if you'd prefer.”

“I can handle it,” he said brusquely. He went to the sink and turned on the water.

She hesitated for a moment before going about gathering up all the used wineglasses. When she set them on the countertop near his elbow, she turned so she could look up at him. “I didn't know this was your grandparents' house.”

She couldn't say why, but it felt important that he know that this wasn't some sort of conspiracy. That was obviously what he thought, at least initially. The moment he'd locked eyes with her, his expression had conveyed nothing short of horror, as though she was specifically there to divulge every detail of their relationship so far.

He grabbed the closest glass and plunged it in the soapy water. “Just randomly showed up at a stranger's house for a good time, huh?”

“Laurie Beth Simmons invited me to her book club. How was I supposed to know your grandmother would be hosting?”

He sent her a sidelong glance, reluctant amusement lifting his lips. “Ah, Laurie Beth. That girl could find trouble blindfolded. How'd you get mixed up with her?”

The momentary flash of jealousy at the fondness his voice betrayed surprised her.
Ridiculous
. He was free to be fond of whomever he liked. Besides, she liked her assistant, impertinent as she could sometimes be. “She works for me. In fact,” she added, attempting to lighten his mood, “she's the one who informed me of your heartthrob status.”

He shook his head as he soaped up another wineglass. “She always was well informed,” he deadpanned.

Finally—a bit of his normal teasing self. It was the opening she was waiting for. Bumping his hip with hers, she smiled up at him. “Hey, you. I'm sorry about the things I said to you before. I was a total jerk, and you didn't deserve it.”

Tanner slowed in his scrubbing and tossed another look her way. “You know, my mama and grandma taught me to never argue with a woman. In the interest of good manners, I'll agree with you on the matter.”

Chuckling, Madeline shook her head. “I see. Well, thank you. I think.”

He rinsed the glass and shook the water from his fingers before turning to face her, one hand resting lightly at his hip. “In the interest of fairness, I admit I acted like an ass that night, too.”

“Did you?” she asked, teasing him in spite of herself. “I can't say I noticed a difference from your normal personality.”

That elicited a laugh. He playfully flicked water at her. “Damn Yankee,” he growled lightly.

She squeaked and jumped back. “Hey! I happen to like this shirt.”

His grin was slow and sexy as his gaze dropped to the lacy top. “What a coincidence. So do I.”

Awareness rushed through her veins. Pretending her heart hadn't just stuttered a bit, she lifted an eyebrow and pointed at the sink. “Eyes on the dishes, buddy. You're not leaving me with this mess.”

He shot her a rueful glance. “And by ‘this' mess do you mean
your
mess? God knows my beverage of choice is not served in a wineglass. I'm just helping you out of the goodness of my heart.”

“Mmhmm. More like out of fear of your grandmother.”

“No shame in that,” he said easily. “That woman put the fear of God into me when I was a kid. I haven't forgotten it, and neither has my butt.”

She bit her lip against a laugh. The last thing she needed to be reminded of was his backside. Seriously, though, his voice held so much fondness when he spoke of his grandmother, even Madeline's heart tugged. Whatever anyone could say about Tanner, he certainly loved his family.

The back door opened then, and a tall, thin man with tan, weathered skin and bright-white hair poking out from under a cowboy hat walked in. He came up short as his clear blue gaze landed on Madeline. “Well, howdy,” he said, his voice a gravelly version of Tanner's. He quickly pulled off his hat and tossed it on the table. “I expected to find a pretty lady in my kitchen, but you're about four decades younger than the lady I had in mind.”

“Jack? Is that you?” Ms. Letty's voice called out from the living room. “You leave the young people be and come sit in here.”

“Hold your horses, woman,” he called back, winking to Madeline. Lowering his voice, he said, “Aren't you gonna introduce me, Tanner?”

“Sure thing,” Tanner said mildly. “This here is Miss Madeline Harper, recently relocated from New York City. Madeline, my grandfather, Jackson Callen, better known as Grandpa Jack.”

Thrusting out her hand in greeting, Madeline smiled. “So nice to meet you, sir. I've enjoyed a lovely evening with your wife.”

His hand was calloused and leathery, but still warm and gentle. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Madeline. I hope Tanner here isn't giving you any trouble.”

She sent a teasing glance toward the troublemaker in question. “Not today, anyway.”

She realized she'd implied they'd met before when the older man's white eyebrows rose with interest. He opened his mouth to respond, but his wife chose that minute to yell for him again.

Shaking his head, he said, “I know better than to keep my bride waiting. Now don't you worry yourself about cleaning up. That's what the help's for,” he said with a teasing nod toward Tanner. With a smile to Madeline and a firm
thwack
to Tanner's back, Jack made his way to the living room.

Crossing his arms, Tanner sent her a wry half grin. “I guess you're off the hook. Better get while the gettin's good.”

The idea of heading home wasn't nearly as appealing as it should have been. Sighing, she nodded. “Probably a good idea. Your grandmother mentioned something about printed directions?”

“Sure. Just give me a minute to rustle them up.” He wiped his hands on a faded yellow-and-white dish towel before disappearing into the hallway.

Within minutes Madeline had said her good-byes, been smothered by Ms. Letty's hug for the second time that night, and agreed to see the woman again soon. By then, Tanner was waiting with the directions in hand at the front door.

“Dark night,” he said, his voice soft and quiet. “I'll walk you to your car.”

Another night, she might have turned him down. But tonight his gaze was warm, the night chilly, and the property unfamiliar. She could feel the buzz of electricity sparking to life again between them, and she wasn't ready to turn her back on that just yet.

She wet her lips and nodded, ignoring the dull voice of reason in the back of her head. “After you.”

Before stepping out
onto the porch, Tanner reached for Madeline's hand, and for once, she didn't protest. It was dark, after all. And gravel never mixed well with heels. And all sorts of wild animals lived in Texas.

And she wanted to hold his hand.

There, she admitted it. Sometimes a woman just wanted to hold a man's hand. It didn't hurt that Tanner was pretty much the definition of the word
hot
.

They strolled to her car lazily, as if they were wandering through a park. In the darkness, it was natural to savor the warmth of his hand and the firm length of his muscled arm against hers. The faint hint of his cologne traveled on the crisp night air, reminding her of the first night they had spent together. She swallowed, trying to be her normal sensible self but drifting closer to him with every step.

When they reached her car, neither of them made a move to open the door. The night was so quiet, she could hear when he drew in a long, slow breath as his thumb caressed her hand.

“Have you looked up since coming here?” he asked, his voice a gruff whisper.

She tilted her chin back, but her gaze didn't travel any farther than the darkened planes of his handsome face. “New Yorkers don't look up,” she said, her voice oddly breathy.

“I guarantee you'll never see a sky so big anywhere else. Take a step outside of that box of yours and see what you're missing.”

She already saw what she was missing. He was right in front of her, with tousled brown hair and eyes that betrayed his every thought. Why did they have to feel so
right
together? All logic said that they were incompatible, but here she was, feeling like she was exactly where she should be.

His lips tugged into a soft grin. Reaching up, he gently put a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up.

Letting go of her conflicting emotions, she allowed her gaze to shift. The sky above them didn't look real. It was like one of those enhanced satellite pictures of the Milky Way, with swirls of stars scattered like pixie dust across an indigo carpet. She breathed an appreciative sigh, as aware of the warmth of his touch as she was of the spectacular view of the heavens. “Incredible.”

He shifted, leaning back against the car and pulling her gently against him. “My thoughts exactly.”

Her heart kick-started in her chest. She knew he wasn't talking about the view. When she dropped her gaze to his, he was watching her with a look that made her stomach flip. “I really should go,” she said softly, but didn't move an inch.

“Yes, you should,” he murmured, but kept his place, too.

“I have work tomorrow.” She leaned the slightest bit forward, just enough that her hips met his, and her breasts grazed his broad chest.

“I'm sure you do.” His fingers tightened on her waist, sending a shiver down her spine. Slowly, deliberately, he pulled her more firmly against him. “So let me kiss you good-night.”

Tanner's heart pounded as he waited for her to answer. He wanted her—God, did he want her—but he didn't want any misunderstandings between them. Their relationship so far had been about as predictable as a tornado in December.

He loved the feel of her in his arms. His fingers brushed over the bare skin of her lower back, just under the hem of her shirt. It was impossible not to think of the night he had touched that same spot with his lips.

“I don't know that we should,” she whispered, leaning in so close that he could feel the warmth of her breath across his cheek.

“I do. We
definitely
should.”

It was all he could do to hold still, to wait for her to make her decision. After a few suspenseful heartbeats, she smiled softly and said, “Maybe just this once.”

Thank God
. Not waiting another second, he wrapped his arms fully around her waist and pressed his lips to hers. The soft sound of satisfaction she made went right through him. He hadn't forgotten how well they fit together, how perfectly their bodies melted into each other.

He kissed her long and slow beneath the great big Texas sky. He took his time exploring, not wanting to rush a single moment. If she was giving him just this once, he would take the opportunity to change her mind. Because this kind of chemistry? It didn't come along every day.

He nibbled, he caressed, his tongue tangled with hers again and again. And it felt so damn good. So
right.
They seemed to have the whole world to themselves.

It was several long minutes before she pulled away and looked up at him with those big eyes of hers. Despite the dim light, he could still see a glimmer of gold in their depths.

Licking her kiss-swollen bottom lip, she said, “I should go.”

He smiled. “Yeah, we established that already.”

She laughed softly and shook her head. “Right. Well, this time I mean it.” Looking back up to him, she gave him a little half smile. “Thanks for seeing me out. I'll…talk to you later.”

He kissed her one last time, short and sweet, before she got into that fancy car of hers and took off. As she drove away, he was struck by how amazing she really was. She was brave enough to move halfway across the country on her own, to step into an intimidating job (though she'd played it down), and to make the most of an area she disliked by joining a book club and befriending an old woman.

He never intended for her to meet his family. None of the women he dated ever even saw his hometown, because he'd laid down ground rules on the subject years ago. But the thing was, weren't rules made to be broken?

In this case, he was beginning to think they were.