Chapter Six
Six
He wasn’t in the kitchen when she came back from freshening up in the powder room. Where had he gone?
She saw a column of gray smoke spiraling skyward and followed it to the glassed-in sitting room where she saw him outside at a grill. When she went out, he turned to smile at her. Tall, lean and strong, he kept her heart racing. His blue-eyed gaze drifted over her and she could see his approval.
“The steak smells wonderful,” she said.
“Thanks. We have tossed salad and twice-baked potatoes, too.”
“When did you fix all that? Twice-baked potatoes? You planned this?”
“No. I have Gwynne, a cook who has gone home now. She fixes dinners and leaves them for me. The potatoes were frozen and easy to thaw and heat. She lives in her own place here on the ranch and cooks five days a week.”
“And what do you do the other two days?”
“Eat alone,” he said.
“I can imagine,” she remarked, thinking of women she knew he had taken out.
He chuckled as he turned to look at the steaks.
The terrace was broad, running across the back of the house and along the bright blue swimming pool that looked so inviting.
“What do you want to drink? Iced tea, wine, cold beer, martini—you name what you’d like.”
“With a drive home tonight, I think iced tea is a good choice.”
“I’ll get you that, but I’d be happy to drive you home tonight.”
“I’ll take the tea,” she answered, smiling at him, wanting to accept his offer, wanting to stay all night, but determined to do what she should.
In minutes he brought her a tall glass of tea and he held a cold beer. “Shall we sit where I can keep an eye on the steaks?”
All the time they talked, she was aware of him sitting close.
His hand rested on her shoulder, rubbing it lightly, or on her nape, his warm fingers drifting in feathery caresses, all small touches that were heightening desire.
Was it going to be easy to forget the times spent with him?
Was she going to miss him or think about him when they parted for good?
She knew the answers to both questions. What she was uncertain about was whether she could resist him.
Soon they sat down to eat in his cool, informal dining area.
“Once again, I’m surprised and impressed. You’re quite a cook, Tony. The steaks are delicious.”
“Thank you. Our own beef and my own cooking. Ta-da.”
When she laughed, he shook his head.
“I need to make an improvement,” he said, reaching out to unfasten one more button of her shirt and push it open to reveal her lush curves. His warm fingers brushed her lightly and she drew a sharp breath, longing for his touch.
She hoped what she wanted didn’t show. She could barely eat. All she wanted was to be in his arms. In some part of her mind she wondered if he had an ulterior motive for inviting her to see the pumps.
He turned on the charm during dinner, smiling and telling her stories about his family and funny incidents when he started as a rancher.
They sat for hours after they finished their steaks, laughing and talking over coffee, until she realized the sun had gone down a long time ago.
She stood. “It’s getting late, Tony. I should go home.
” She picked up her plate. Instantly Tony took her dish from her hands.
“None of that. Gwynne will be here in the morning and will take care of it.”
“So then I should be going,” she said, trying to stick to what she felt she should do.
Placing his hands on her shoulders, making her tingle in anticipation, he turned her to face him.
“Don’t go home tonight, Lindsay. You have choices—you can sleep downstairs alone or upstairs with me, but stay. I don’t want you to drive back tonight.”
“Tony,” she said, her heart drumming as she looked into his blue-green eyes, “you know I should go. We’ve talked about this.”
He stepped closer to wrap his arms around her and kiss her. When she knew she was on the verge of agreeing to stay, she stepped out of his embrace.
“I have to go home,” she said breathlessly.
He nodded and watched as she straightened her blouse and turned for the door.
Draping his arm across her shoulders, he walked her to her pickup.
“I know you’re doing what’s sensible. We have different lifestyles. Even so, I don’t want you to go.”
“I have to,” she said and turned to climb into her pickup.
She smiled at him. “Thanks for dinner and for showing me your water pump.”
“Sure. I’ll call you,” he said, and closed the pickup door.
He stood on the driveway watching her as she drove away. She glanced several times at the rearview mirror and he still stood watching. Then she rounded a curve and he was gone from view.
She trembled with longing, wanting to stay, telling herself over and over that she was doing the right thing and the smart thing. She had no future with Tony. Far from it, he would be a threat to her and her ranch. Why didn’t that knowledge make her feel better?
She tried to stop thinking about his kisses, the laughs they had shared. What she was doing was for the best. She missed him, but she was not brokenhearted after an affair that Tony had ended, something she wanted to avoid with all her being.
The auction had been worth the money if she got friendliness and cooperation from him.
She knew he would never stop telling her what she should do, but they could have a more neighborly relationship.
In a week she would probably feel differently about him if she stopped seeing him and talking to him.
Tony stood a few minutes after Lindsay drove out of sight. Longing for her tore at him and was impossible for him to ignore.
How could he have so much fun with her now, find her so desirable when not long ago they were at each other’s throats over every issue?
He knew the answer to his question. She was the sexiest, best-looking, most fun woman he had ever known. The realization still shook him.
Feeling empty, he stared at the road, wishing she would turn around and come back. Back into his arms and into his bed tonight.
He shouldn’t miss her—he had never missed a woman this much or given one this much thought when he wasn’t with her.
Of all the women in Texas, why did it have to be Lindsay who had turned his life topsy-turvy?
With a long sigh, he turned to go inside, knowing he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about her or sleep peacefully tonight.
As he walked back to his house, he saw a light in one of the barns. On impulse, to avoid being alone, he changed direction and strolled to the barn, where he found Keane nailing up more shelves in the tack room.
“I wondered who was working. Need help?”
“Yep. In a minute. I need a break. If you have time, four hands will be better than two trying to get these shelves in place,” Keane said as he sat on a crate.
Tony sat on a bale of hay and stretched out his legs. “Lindsay just left and she’s happy about my water pumps. She is going to look into doing the same, as we have to get water.”
“She can be a nice lady. Good for neighbors to get along.”
“It should be more peaceful. I hope it lasts, because she still can be her stubborn self.”
“She’s not so bad, but you know that now. The people who work for her like her.”
“For a time it will probably be better between us.”
“I’d bet money on that one,” Keane remarked drily. “She’s a strong woman who knows what she wants.”
“Amen to that. Actually, I don’t think we’ll see any more of each other in the future.”
“Maybe so. You’ll work it out, I’m sure.”
Tony focused on his foreman because it sounded as if Keane was trying to hold back laughter. “Ready to get back to work?” Tony asked, standing because he wanted to end the conversation about his private life.
“Sure. You can hold one of these boards in place for me.”
Silently, Tony followed directions from Keane, but his thoughts drifted to Lindsay. He didn’t want to go back to his empty house. He missed her and didn’t want to think about her staying or having her in his arms in his bed tonight.
Once Keane stopped to look at him.
“What?”
“You’re getting ready to hammer that board in and it’s in the wrong place.”
Startled, Tony looked at the narrow board he held in his hands. “Sorry,” he said, adjusting it as he felt his face heat. He had been lost in thoughts about Lindsay. He made an effort to stop thinking about her and focus on the job at hand.
Tony managed to keep his thoughts on the task and, in minutes, Keane stepped back to look at his completed shelves.
“With your help, we’re through,” Keane said. “Thanks, boss. That went quickly. I’ll put away the tools.”
“I’ll help,” Tony stated, acting quickly. In minutes they parted, Keane for his house and Tony walking back to his, which was dark and empty.
He stepped inside, locked the door and went to the kitchen to get a beer. He carried it out to the patio to sit and gaze at the pool, gardens and fountain while he thought about Lindsay.
He had to get her out of his thoughts. They had no future together and neither one wanted a future together. It still amazed him how much she was in his thoughts.
“Goodbye, Lindsay,” he said aloud, as if he could get her out of his thoughts that way. He didn’t expect to see her again soon. He tried to ignore the pang that caused.
Lindsay stood in front of the calendar the next morning counting the days.
Once and again. No matter how many times she counted it, the results were the same.
She had missed her period by almost a couple of weeks now, and that had never happened before.
Common sense said there could be a host of reasons and she should give it more time.
But could she be pregnant? Tony had taken precautions, but there was always a chance. She knew the statistics.
Anxiety washed over her with the force of a tidal wave, and she pulled out her desk chair to sit down.