Chapter Five
During dinner Rick sat beside Lani. The family chattered and laughed, but Lani could scarcely think with the hair on his forearm tickling her arm every time he moved. He pressed his leg to hers beneath the table, and even when she shifted in her seat he still managed to brush up against her.
She was so turned on by the brief contact she could only pray that no one would notice her rigid nipples beneath her blouse. It was almost a relief when dinner was over and she could escape his constant presence.
After they all helped Sadie clean off the table and straighten the kitchen, Trevor grabbed Rick’s hand and tugged him toward the back door. “Come on, Dad. Let’s show Lani my hideout.”
“You game?” Rick asked, looking at Lani in a way that made her heart skip a beat.
She smiled and shrugged. “Sure. I’d love to see your hideout, Trevor.”
“All right!” The boy snatched her hand and pulled her and Rick out the door.
She laughed and looked over Trevor’s head at Rick. “You have quite the dynamo here.”
“You have no idea.” Rick’s dimple appeared when he smiled, and her stomach flip-flopped.
The boy’s hand felt small and warm in Lani’s as he dragged them through Sadie’s orchard and into the windbreak. The late afternoon sun hung just above the mountains and the air smelled of cut grass and marigolds. A breeze cooled her cheeks and leaves crunched underfoot as they walked through cottonwood, eucalyptus, and juniper trees.
When they reached a grassy area, Trevor pointed to a muddy pool of water. “That’s Grandma’s duck pond.” It smelled of moss and algae, and the sounds of quacking ducks filled the clearing. “Don’t they sound like they’re telling secrets? That’s what Grandma always says. And look, there’s Momma duck and her babies.”
Lani smiled. “I bet Momma duck is chatting about how adorable her babies are.” They halted as the duck family waddled in front of them, about a dozen fuzzy ducklings trailing the mother.
“Come on.” Trevor pulled Lani’s hand and led her further into the windbreak. “Here it is!” he announced when they came upon a playhouse painted in cheerful primary colors. “My dad made it for me when I was five and he painted it in my favorite colors. It’s on the ground ‘cause the trees around here aren’t big enough to build it up high, so it’s not a tree house, it’s a ground house, but I call it my hideout.”
The yellow house stood about five feet tall, had a green chimney, scarlet door, and bright blue trim around the windows and eaves. It was perfect for a kid to have loads of adventures in.
“The craftsmanship is beautiful.” Lani glanced at Rick. “Your father must be talented with his hands.”
The second she said it, a hot flush swept over her, and it was all she could do to not clap her hand over her mouth. Instead she studied the playhouse, trying to regain her composure.
Rick chuckled and leaned close. “Why, thank you, darlin’.”
“Come inside!” Trevor dodged through the door. “I want to show you all my stuff.”
Lani followed, doing her best to ignore Rick. No easy feat considering the effect his presence had on her erratic pulse.
The playhouse was snug, but the three of them managed to squeeze inside and sit on the green floor. She scooted beside the child-sized table and chairs, and she was sure Rick made a point to press as close to her as possible.
The warmth of his skin seared her as his arm rubbed against hers, and his jeans were rough against her bare thigh. His masculine scent surrounded her. She considered telling him to move away, but she was afraid her voice would betray the wanton feelings he stirred inside her.
“This is a great place to hide, so that’s why I call it my hideout.” Trevor pushed open blue shutters and pointed out the window. “You can see the driveway from here and the front door, but no one can see us. So if I want to be a spy, I can check out things from here.” He dug in a toy chest under the window, tossing out toys left and right. An orange ball bounced across the room and action figures clattered to the floor. “I have these old binoc—binoco—how do you say it, Dad?”
“Binoculars.”
“Oh, yeah, binoculars. Anyway, I can see really far with these. Grandpa gave them to me. I’ve got all kinds of spy stuff. Dad said that if something ever happens and I need to find a hiding place, to come here and he’ll know where I am.”
Lani captured the orange ball with one hand as it rolled across the floor. “Do you play out here a lot?”
Trevor nodded, his brown hair flopping into his eyes. He swiped the hair away with his grubby hand. “Mostly when Grandma says her ears need a break.”
Lani giggled and Rick grinned. He said, “Why don’t we show Lani around the ranch?”
“Sure!” Trevor started to head out the door.
“Hold on, Pardner,” Rick said. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Trevor turned back. “What?”
“Your toys.”
“Do I have tooooo?” the boy whined.
“Yes.”
With a sigh, Trevor scooped up all his toys and tossed them into the box, the crash loud enough to bring the roof down. He whirled and scampered out the door and vanished into the windbreak.
Lani pitched the orange ball into the toy box and went next, wondering where Trevor had disappeared to.
As she went through the little doorway on her hands and knees, she felt Rick’s gaze on her backside. She didn’t know what got into her, but she paused for a moment, her knees wide. She imagined Rick’s palm on her ass, a slow rub that made Lani want to moan. Heat burned her and she scrambled out into the trees.
After Rick crawled out, he shut the door and stretched his limbs. His muscles rippled beneath his snug T-shirt, and she couldn’t help but remember how good he had looked earlier, clad only in briefs.
Trevor came crashing through the windbreak, grabbed Lani’s hand, bringing her attention back to the boy. “Dad, let’s show her the plane.”
“Plane?” She heard the nervousness in her own voice as she glanced at Rick.
He shrugged. “I told you, I’m a pilot. I have a twin-engine Cessna.”
“And it’s really, really cool!” Trevor pulled her arm. She forced herself to go with him through the trees until she saw the small craft sitting on the dirt landing strip.
Lani stopped abruptly and Trevor almost fell backwards. “It’s, uh, nice.” As she grabbed the boy’s shoulders and steadied him, her heart pounded and she felt blood drain from her face. She swallowed, trying to force the lump out of her throat. “Ah…anything else you want to show me? Your grandma’s garden?”
Trevor pulled her hand. “I’ll show you the inside of the plane.”
Panic gripped her. “Oh. Well, I—”
“Trevor!” Sadie’s cry came from the house. The woman had a mild easygoing manner about her, but could she ever yell.
Rick watched Lani as he patted his son’s shoulder. “Better see what Grandma wants.”
Trevor frowned and put his hands on his hips. “But, Dad. I wanna show Lani the plane.”
“Go.” Rick’s tone was one that meant he didn’t expect any further argument. “You know your grandma doesn’t like it when you don’t answer right away.”
“Trevor!” Sadie called again.
“But, Dad!”
“Now.”
“All right,” the boy grumbled and took off for the house.
Rick studied Lani for a moment before he said, “You like small planes less than commercial airlines.”
“Far less.” She smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear and tried to stop her hands from trembling. She turned her back to the plane and gestured toward the house. “Why don’t you show me something else?”
“Want to talk about it?” His voice was calm. Grounding. And she almost wished she could tell him.
She shook her head and started walking through the windbreak. “No.”
His eyes were dark, concerned. “All right.”
Gradually, her tense muscles relaxed as he took her on a tour of the ranch. The farther she got from the plane, the easier it became. He showed her Sadie’s greenhouse and garden, then the henhouse and corrals. Lani laughed when she saw Trevor’s family of potbellied pigs, and at the antics of Sadie’s baby Alpine goats.
When it was dusk, they strolled back toward the house. “Enjoying your stay?” Rick asked, watching her with hooded eyes.
“Very much.” She smiled and nodded. “It’s wonderful here.”
“Have dinner with me.” His voice was low and husky, sending shivers down her spine. “We’ll head into town to a nice little restaurant I know. Just you and me.”
A fluttering sensation gathered in her belly and she struggled to calm it. She took a deep breath of clean evening air and said, “I—I don’t know.”
They halted in front of the house, just outside the porch. Light poured through the windows and teased the gold in Rick’s chestnut hair. An overwhelming urge came over her, to run her fingers within that thick hair, to press close against his hard body and kiss him like the world was on fire. Like there was no tomorrow, only today. Only the two of them.
Rick trailed his finger down her arm and she gasped at the sensual contact. “It’s just dinner, Lani.”
She stepped back, away from his disturbing touch. “I’ll think about it.” She forced herself to turn from him, and hurried into the house.
Even as she left him outside, she wondered why she couldn’t just let go and spend some time with this man.
What’s wrong with me?
Why don’t I just go for it?
And the answer came to her clear as day.
She didn’t want to lose her heart, and with Rick, that was something that would be only too easy to do.
* * * * *
Lani tucked her glasses into their case, then rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her temples throbbed from spending the afternoon transcribing notes from her interview with Chuck. Since her deadline was a couple of weeks off, she had time yet to start writing the feature.
She closed her eyes and relaxed in the study’s leather chair. Against her will, her thoughts wandered to yesterday evening, when Rick had suggested they go to dinner. Alone.
No matter how much she tried to tell herself it would be a mistake, she couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be with him. That one kiss she’d shared with Rick had unraveled her more than any amount of intimacy she’d shared with James.
With James it hadn’t been making love, it had just been sex, and she’d never enjoyed it. He’d called her a cold fish. Told her she was terrible in bed. She’d never known what to do, and with him it was over before it started. No foreplay. No cuddling. Just James relieving his needs.
She’d thought that was all there was to sex until Theresa and her friend Calinda had started in on the topic one day at lunch. Lani started wondering if she’d been missing something. Perhaps James had been not only a sorry excuse for a husband, but a poor sexual partner as well.
Why did she believe it would be any different with Rick?
Well, let’s see
. The way he’d kissed her, as though he wanted to taste her everywhere. The way he touched her, and how careful and protective he was with her. The way that he looked at her, like she was the only woman on Earth. The way he made her feel, like a fire burned deep within her soul—an ache, a need that only he could fill…
And she could imagine him filling her in every possible way.
With a shiver and a sigh, Lani opened her eyes and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day, and she was tired of being cooped up. She stood and stretched her stiff limbs, then wandered out of the study and into the kitchen. Delicious smells filled the room, apparently coming from a pan of ground beef simmering on the stovetop, next to a pot of bubbling red sauce.
“Need help?” Lani asked when she saw Rick’s mom at the counter shredding a head of lettuce.
“You betcha. You grate the cheese.” Sadie pointed to a block of cheese on the counter as she scooped lettuce into a colander. “I’m making a batch of enchiladas for the Frontier Homemakers’ dance and potluck tonight.”
After Lani washed and dried her hands, she started grating cheese onto the plate Sadie provided. “Sounds like fun.”
Sadie took a bunch of green onions and chopped them into small pieces on a wooden cutting board. “I was hoping you might like to join us.”
Lani glanced up from the growing mound of cheese. “I don’t know how to dance to country western.”
“Nothing to it.” Sadie shrugged and scraped onions into a small bowl. “If Rick’s not too tired after work, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind showing you how to two-step.”
Heat warmed Lani’s face at the thought of dancing with Rick. “I wouldn’t want to impose.” She finished her task and set down the grater. “What else can I do to help?”
“Would you mind chopping these?” Sadie handed Lani two plump tomatoes. “And nonsense about imposing. I’m sure Rick would enjoy it. He’s quite good.”
“I’m sure he is,” Lani murmured as she took the knife and cutting board Sadie handed her.
Sadie scooted an enormous baking dish onto the counter. “Besides, you’ll have a chance to meet some folks you’ll be interviewing.”
“True.” Lani nodded as she sliced one of the tomatoes. Who knew, she might enjoy herself. An image of Rick holding her close flashed in her mind, and her hands trembled. The knife slipped and she barely avoided cutting her thumb.
She needed to get her mind off Rick or she’d end up slicing off a finger.
But before she could think better of it, Lani asked, “Does Rick usually go?”
“When I can convince him.” Sadie began filling and rolling tortillas and placing them into the pan. “He tends to shy away from these things.”
Lani gave an inward sigh. Why did she feel such a keen sense of disappointment to learn that Rick might not go to the dance? Wasn’t that what she wanted? To keep her distance from him?
Yes. It was for the best. She couldn’t allow herself to trust so easily and to want so much so soon. Especially a man who continually invaded her thoughts and made her feel like she was melting inside every time he looked at her. She was only there for three weeks and then she would be gone.
And Rick would be out of her life forever.
Why did that thought make her feel so hollow?
After debating over whether to wear a skirt or slacks, Lani opted for a new pair of jeans and a silky blouse in shell pink.
Her stomach clenched at the thought of Rick asking her to dance with him—if he went. She could almost feel the warmth of his body close to hers, his arms wrapped around her, his lips brushing her ear…
For goodness sake! She was acting like she was in high school again, getting ready to attend one of the functions where boys lined one wall and girls grouped together against the other. Memories of her younger sister’s first school dance abruptly came to Lani. She closed her eyes, remembering how pretty Naya had looked in her indigo dress. How her brown eyes had sparkled and how nervous she’d been the first time a boy asked her to dance.
Lani had been fiercely protective of her younger sister and had refused to let Naya out of her sight that night. But in the end, just a couple of years later, Lani hadn’t been able to protect her. She hadn’t been able to do anything to prevent her sister from dying.
Wiping away a tear, Lani forced the thoughts from her mind. It didn’t do any good to dwell on the past. No good at all.
While she jerked a brush through her hair, she studied her reflection in the mirror. She couldn’t help but see herself as James did, remembering all the times he told her how fat she was.
Stop it!
She took a deep breath and tried to relax. Funny that he used to tell her she was beautiful before they were married. But how quickly things changed, and how controlling he’d become. She’d been stupid. Naïve.
She slammed the brush down on the bureau and clenched her fists.
Get a grip
. She’d finally come to her senses and ditched the jerk. Taking several deep breaths, she cleared her mind of all unwanted memories.
The only problem was that the image that filled her mind next was of Rick walking through the house in his underwear yesterday. God, but he was good to look at. Not to mention good to taste.
With a groan, she touched up her makeup, going to a little extra effort on her appearance. At the last minute, she decided to paint her toenails bright pink with quick-drying enamel polish. When she finished, she tucked her blouse in her jeans, slid on a pair of sandals and headed to the kitchen.
“Well aren’t you a purdy sight,” Chuck said when she entered the room.
Lani smiled, enjoying his country charm. “You’re quite the dashing gentleman.”
“Hey, Lani.” Trevor whirled into the room. His hair was combed and parted on the side, and he wore jeans and a western shirt. “Are you going with us?”
“Yes, sir.” She put her hand on his shoulder and smiled. “You’re so handsome. Will you save a dance for me?”
“Okay.” Trevor bounced on his toes and turned to his grandma. “Is it time to leave? Bobby Torres is coming and I wanna show him my snake rattle. I’ve got it in my pocket.”
“We’re ready.” Sadie picked up the foil-covered pan of enchiladas. “Chuck, will you take this out to the car?”
“Sure thing, sweetheart.” He kissed Sadie and took the pan.
Sadie grabbed a pen and notepad off the counter and scrawled a quick note, then laid it on the table. “I’m letting Rick know where we’ll be. Who knows if he’ll remember about the dance tonight. Since he’s late, it’s possible he’ll be too tired.”
Lani just nodded. What difference did it make to her if Rick showed up at the dance or not?
They all piled out of Sadie’s SUV after they drove the two miles to the clubhouse. It was early evening and lights were blazing through the windows, the dirt and gravel parking lot filled with vehicles. The clubhouse wasn’t much to look at from outside—a long, narrow building that must have been at least fifty years old and had the scars to prove it. Scraggly trees grew behind the clubhouse, and if Lani wasn’t mistaken, there were “hers” and “his” outhouses in the back.
She hid a smile as she followed the Turners up the concrete steps to the clubhouse. Country western music blared into the night, along with laughter and conversation. As they walked into the building, everyone they passed greeted Sadie and Chuck, and Lani’s head spun with the names of all the people she was introduced to. The clubhouse smelled of fried chicken, sawdust and sweat. Couples danced on the sawdust covered hardwood floor, people were laughing, talking and eating, and children dodged underfoot. In the corner a band was set up with a couple of bales of hay around them, for atmosphere, she supposed.
“This is Sal, a Border Patrol Agent and friend of Rick’s,” Sadie said when the dark-haired man walked up to them. “Sal, this is Lani, the reporter who’s staying with us.”
“Hello, Sal.” Lani had to raise her voice to be heard over the toe-tapping song the band was playing.
“
Buenos Noches
.” His mustache curved upward as he squeezed her hand.
Lani turned to Sadie and explained how they’d met at the Border Patrol checkpoint outside of Tombstone. The song ended, and the band started another tune. “Would you care to dance?” Sal asked Lani.
Her cheeks grew hot. “Ah—”
“Get on out there.” Sadie chuckled and ushered them toward the dance floor. “I’m gonna make sure Chuck set the enchiladas on the buffet table. I wouldn’t be surprised if that man decided to keep the whole pan for himself.”
Lani’s gaze darted from Sal to the dance floor and back. “I, ah, don’t know how…”
“It’s easy enough.” Fine lines at the corners of Sal’s eyes crinkled and his mustache twitched as he guided her onto the floor.
Sal turned out to be an excellent teacher, and didn’t seem to mind Lani stepping on his boots at least half a dozen times. Soon she was getting the hang of it and actually enjoying herself. Every now and then, though, she couldn’t help but glance at the door, wondering if Rick would show.
When they stopped to drink some punch, Lani was asked to dance by a man who was chewing on a toothpick. Before she knew what was happening, she was swept onto the dance floor again.
John Stevens introduced himself as they danced around the room. A pleasant-looking man, he was built like a bulldozer, had hazel eyes, a slight receding hairline and long sideburns.
He leaned close and said over the music, “I hear you’re staying with the Turners.”
Lani smiled and tilted her head, trying to avoid getting jabbed by the toothpick. “Sadie mentioned you. Don’t you own a ranch by the name of Sweet…”
“Sweetwater.” He drew her out of the way of a couple twirling into their path.
“I’m interviewing ranchers about the illegal immigrant situation. Would you be free to chat with me?”
A flicker of something passed across his features, but it was too brief for Lani to get a feel for what it might be. He shrugged and said, “You’re welcome to come on out to Sweetwater any time. Just give me a heads-up.”
By the time she finally made her escape to grab something cold to drink, Lani had danced with a few men after John Stevens, as well as once with Trevor. Her face was warm, droplets of sweat trickled between her breasts, and the backs of her heels surely had blisters.
Sal eased up to her as she ladled punch into her cup. “All danced out?”
Lani laughed and sipped her punch. “I haven’t had this much fun in ages.”
She agreed to one more dance, but when he led her to the floor, she realized the band was playing a slow tune. A twinge of nervousness gripped her stomach. It had been fine dancing to fast numbers, but being too close to any man made her uncomfortable.
Any man but Rick
, her thoughts amended, and then she immediately chastised herself. What was with that man, that she couldn’t get him out of her head?
Fortunately, Sal held her at a respectable distance, one hand on her shoulder and one at her waist, with plenty of room between them. “I’m surprised Rick isn’t here,” Sal said as they moved across the floor.
Lani shrugged, pretending it didn’t matter. “Apparently he had to work late. He’s probably too tired, anyway.”
Sal winked. “I’d bet next month’s paycheck that nothing would stop him from coming, just knowing you’re here.”
Blushing, she shook her head.
Tingles erupted at the base of Lani’s neck. She cut her gaze to the doorway and caught her breath. Rick had his shoulder against the doorframe, his arms folded across his chest. His blue eyes were focused on her, his expression unreadable. He looked so good, dressed all in black from his western shirt and jeans to his boots and cowboy hat.
Good enough to eat.
Whole
.
Sal leaned close, and she forced herself to turn away to hear what he’d said. When she glanced back to the doorway, Rick was gone.