Chapter 11
Abby slept in unusually late. Normally she woke around five without an alarm. Today, she didn’t get up until almost nine a.m., which she knew thanks to an old-fashioned alarm clock on the dresser.
She sat up, yawned into a stretch, and blinked away remnants of sleep. Brady might think she was a bum for sleeping in so late.
To her surprise, her clothes sat folded neatly on the chair beside the door. He must have put them there this morning—she’d never heard him come in.
A hand-carved walking stick leaned against the doorframe, and she smiled at his thoughtfulness.
Abby tested her weight on her knee and winced, her eyes watering. Yeah, she’d have to take it easy for a day or so. She limped to the chair, picked up the clothes in one arm, and managed to make it back to the bed without falling.
She plopped back onto the mattress and took her button-up blouse off the stack. Beneath that was a pair of pink lacy panties and her matching bra. Her face burned at the knowledge that Brady had touched her undergarments.
Well, that was one way of getting a man to see what you wore beneath your clothing.
Abby eased on her panties and jeans, flinching when she moved her knee. She finished dressing and decided she’d go barefoot rather than trying to bend her knee to put on her socks. She eased to her feet, limped to the door, grabbed the walking stick next to it, and let herself out into the hallway.
The cool tile felt good beneath her feet as she made her way toward the kitchen. The walking stick helped tremendously.
The kitchen was empty, but on the kitchen nook table a note with her name on it leaned against a round plastic container beside a thermos. A small plate and a stack of paper napkins had been placed next to them, along with a bottle of pain reliever. When she reached the table, she picked up the paper and unfolded it.
Enjoy your breakfast, Abby. I’ll be back to make lunch at noon.
B.
Abby smiled as she leaned the walking stick against the table and slid onto the bench seat. She opened the container and grinned as she retrieved a big, sticky, iced, cream cheese Danish. She placed it on the plate and opened the thermos, then poured milk into the glass. She took a sip and found it wonderfully ice cold. She popped a couple of pain relievers, set aside the glass, then bit into her Danish. She closed her eyes with pure enjoyment.
She opened her eyes and took another bite. As she chewed, she started to plan her day and remembered she didn’t have a phone or her briefcase, so she had nothing she could do for business or personal for that matter. She would have groaned if her mouth wasn’t full of Danish.
When Brady came in for lunch, she’d ask him when he’d be available to go to town to get a new phone. She swallowed, and this time she did groan. Today was Labor Day and this was a small town, so it would be unlikely to find a place to get a phone that happened to be open.
She dropped her head onto her forearm on the tabletop. This was torture, sheer torture. Did Brady have a landline? If he did, could she even remember any numbers to call?
The kitchen door opened, startling her. Brady was home early. She raised her head, a smile on her face, half a sticky Danish in one hand.
Not Brady.
It was Elena.
Abby placed the remainder of her Danish on the plate and wiped her fingers with a napkin while managing to maintain the smile. “Hi, Elena.”
Elena wore a mask of indifference. “Oh, you’re here.”
She likely knew Abby was there because her car remained parked in front of Brady’s home, but Abby chose to ignore that.
“How’s Irene?” Abby wrinkled her brow as she thought about the older woman. “It’s awful that her place burned down last night.”
Elena’s expression did change to one of genuine concern. “She’s taking it hard.” Elena slid onto the bench across the table from Abby. “She and my uncle built that home when they first got married and she turned it into a B B after he died. It meant a lot to her.”
“I’m sorry,” Abby said softly. “I really like Irene. She’s a sweet woman.”
Elena gave a slow nod, clearly thinking about her aunt. “She is.” In the next moment, her expression shifted to a barely restrained scowl. “Did you spend the night here?”
“I did.” Abby kept her tone mild. “Brady offered his guestroom when we couldn’t find available rooms at any hotels or B Bs.”
Elena narrowed her gaze. “Brady has you fooled.”
Abby raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?”
Elena affected concern as she spoke. “He cheated on me before the wedding. That’s why I went to Austria.”
Abby studied her. “Then why did you tell your aunt you wanted him back?”
The young woman shrugged one slim shoulder. “Brady and I have history—we’ve known each other since we were kids. I decided to forgive him.”
“That’s very big of you,” Abby said. “It took you a year to do that?”
Elena looked annoyed now, her dark eyes flashing. “It takes time to get over something like that.”
“You must be a bigger woman than I am.” Abby held Elena’s gaze. “I couldn’t forgive someone for cheating on me.”
Elena gave a self-satisfied smile that twisted her otherwise pretty mouth. “So, you can see Brady isn’t worth your time.”
It was Abby’s turn to shrug. “He didn’t cheat on me.”
The woman’s gaze turned cold. “You wouldn’t want him anyway. He’s unreliable, not to mention an awful cook and terrible at anything domestic.” She flicked her gaze around her. “I mean, look at this place.”
She met Abby’s gaze again and continued. “He’s not even a decent handyman. He drinks too much and thinks he’s great at singing, but he’s only mediocre.” She brushed hair from her eyes. “Even worse, he’s a terrible kisser and bad in bed.”
Abby wanted to burst into laughter but managed to keep a straight face. “You are willing to put up with a lot to take him back.”
Elena shook back her glorious, long black hair. “The things women do for love.”
I wouldn’t know, Abby thought to herself. She’d never been in love. In lust, yes, and she had cared very much about a couple of men in her life. But she’d never been in soul-deep love.
Was that something she could find with Brady?
Not if this lovely creature won back his heart. Would he really forgive Elena for what she’d done? Abby didn’t think so, but it was something worth discussing with him if things progressed between herself and Brady.
Elena focused on Abby. “When are you leaving?”
Abby was so tempted to say, “I’ll be here indefinitely,” but she didn’t like the idea of imposing on Brady more than she had to.
“Until I can find a place with an available room,” Abby said. “Thanks to the holiday, that’s not likely to be until tomorrow.”
Elena frowned. “I’ll find a place for you to go to today.”
This manipulative woman irritated her, not to mention Abby’s knee throbbed and it might be difficult to maneuver on her own. She should probably give herself one more day.
“Don’t bother.” Abby made up her mind. “I’m staying tonight.”
Elena’s frown turned into a scowl. “You’re imposing on Brady.”
The kitchen door opened, and Brady called out, “Abby,” as he stepped through. He came to a hard stop when he saw Elena at the table with her.
Elena whipped her head to look over her shoulder as Brady slowly closed the door behind him then walked toward the table.
“Brady.” Elena surged to her feet and moved toward him. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
He stopped her from reaching for him by holding out his arm. He wore a hard expression as he studied her. “What are you doing here, Elena?”
A hurt look flashed across her features. “To see you, of course.” She inclined her head in Abby’s direction. “Abby just told me she’s leaving today.”
Brady frowned and glanced at Abby, who struggled not to roll her eyes. “Elena misunderstood. I’m planning to stay until tomorrow.”
Elena cast a glare at Abby. “You shouldn’t impose on Brady?—”
“Abby is injured.” His voice cut through her words. “She’ll stay with me until her knee is better.”
Abby didn’t plan on doing that, but she just said, “Thank you, Brady. I appreciate your hospitality.”
The smile he gave her warmed her insides like melted chocolate. God, how his sexy smile caused flutters in her belly. “You’ll stay here long as you need to.”
Elena braced her hands on her hips. “We need to talk, Brady.”
He cut his gaze to Elena. “This is the third time I’ve told you we have nothing to say to each other—I’m not going to repeat myself again. Caesar is out checking fences, but I just saw Charlene, so I know she’s home. You go on now and see your mom.”
Brady steered her toward the door.
“I don’t want—” she started.
“I want you to go.” He opened the door and guided her through it. He deposited her on the back stoop.
“Brady—”
He closed the door. His fingers flexed as he looked at the knob like he was tempted to lock it. Instead, he paused, as if waiting for Elena to burst back into his home.
After a moment, he turned back to Abby and gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry if she bothered you while she’s been here.” He took off his Stetson and pushed fingers through his wavy dark hair. “Frankly, I don’t know how to get her to stop. She’s always been difficult to divert when she gets her mind fixed on something.”
“And right now, she’s fixed on you.” Abby felt for Brady having to deal with Elena, but she decided to tease him. “Elena entertained me with a list of all of your weaknesses and your vices.”
“Help me.” He rolled his eyes heavenward before he looked at Abby. “How terrible am I?”
“Have a moment?” Abby gestured to the seat across from her. “This might take a while.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up in amusement and he slid onto the bench. “Give it to me.”
“Let me see…” Abby held up her fingers, listing them off. “You’re an alcoholic and you don’t know the difference between a teakettle and a frying pan.” She grinned at him. “Storyteller’s prerogative for embellishment.”
He chuckled. “Do go on.”
She raised another finger then another as she went. “You don’t know where to find a duster, a broom, or a mop. You think you have the voice of an angel, but you can’t hold a tune.” She tilted her head. “Shall I go on?”
He made a motion with his hand for her to continue. “By all means.”
She couldn’t help a grin and continued holding up her fingers as she went on. “You are neither handy nor a man. You don’t know where to find a woman’s lips and you’re even worse in bed.”
He laughed. “So, when it comes down to it, I’m no catch.”
“Not by a long shot.” She didn’t know what made her do it, but she rested her hand on his. “What Elena doesn’t seem to realize is I’m an intelligent woman and I make up my own mind.”
He put his other hand over hers, sandwiching it, and held her gaze. “And what have you determined?”
She leaned closer and inhaled his sunshine and fresh air scent. “I’ll let you know.”
He shifted in his seat and suddenly they were within kissing distance. She leaned back and drew her hands from his, not ready for anything so intimate.
“How’s your elbow?” she asked.
He flexed that arm. “Sore, but not much.”
“Good.” She nodded. “Are you back because it’s lunchtime already?” She gestured toward the pastry on her plate. “I hadn’t even finished my first Danish before she came into the house.”
“Go ahead and eat the rest, and have a second if you’d like.” He slid of the bench and stood by the table. “I just came in to check on you. Is there anything you need?”
She shook her head. “Other than my phone and everything else that burned up, I can’t think of a thing.”
“I have a landline, so you can make any calls you need to,” he said, surprising her. “You’re more than welcome to use my desktop computer for whatever you might require, including looking up all the numbers you needed your phone to remember.”
“That’s awesome.” Abby breathed out a sigh of relief. “I was going to go crazy with nothing to do and no way to get ahold of anyone.”
Brady helped her to her feet, and she used the walking stick as they made their way to his home office. He sat her in his armed office chair behind the big mahogany desk, with a soft stool to rest her foot on. He gave her a new legal-sized yellow pad and a handmade clay boot-shaped container filled with pens.
He logged onto his desktop and wrote down his username and password on the legal pad in case she left, and the screensaver came on. He added his cell phone number to the notes on the yellow pad.
Once she was set up, he left. Moments later, he returned with a napkin and the second half of her Danish, along with the container of pastries, and an ice pack. He poured a fresh glass of cold milk and placed it next to the pad of paper.
“Thank you.” She smiled up at him. “You are the best.”
“Caesar and I have a lot of work,” he said. “Will you be all right ’til I get back?”
“Of course.” She smiled. “I have so much to take care of I’m afraid I’m going to miss something.”
He looked at her a long moment. “Call me if you need anything.” He let out a slow breath. “If Elena shows up again, text me and I’ll take care of her.”
“I can handle her but thank you.” Abby’s lips twisted with amusement. “She seems to think I’m competition.”
Brady’s mouth curved into a smile. “Hun, she’s not even in the running.”
She smiled back at him, still amused.
Brady moved behind her, gripped her shoulders, and kissed the top of her head, causing a shiver to roll down her spine. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you, I will.” Her scalp tingled where he’d pressed his lips.
He stood in the doorway, so sexy, hard, and masculine. He put on his Stetson and whistled for Lady, who immediately came to his side. He paused and gave Abby one last look before heading outside with the dog and closing the door behind him.
“Bye,” she said softly, but to herself since Brady had already left by the time she got the word out.
She let out a long sigh and stared at the large-screen monitor and the desktop image of his family on it. She let her gaze drift over the members she’d met, which was everyone save for an elderly couple, who must be his grandparents. Like her own, his family was important to him. She’d seen it clearly during the cookout, and she loved that about him.
It was in that moment that she realized she was falling hard for the man—and she was more than okay with that.
Throughout the day, Brady had wanted to keep an eye out on the bunkhouse in case Elena went back to his home, but he had too much work to do. He wasn’t worried, though—he’d never doubted Abby could hold her own with any woman, including his ex. Although he’d really prefer that Elena not make a nuisance of herself. He loved Abby’s confidence, maturity, and lack of drama.
By the time dinnertime rolled around, he was hungry enough he could have chewed a wooden fence post, splinters and all. He headed back to his home ready to cook the meal and looking forward to seeing Abby.
When he and Lady walked in, delicious smells met his nose. Abby stood at the stove, her back to him. She had legs up to here and the sexiest ass he’d seen. Her long red hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he wondered what it would be like to see it loose around her face. She was so beautiful that sometimes she took his breath away.
She cast a look over her shoulder. “You’re right on time. Dinner is ready.”
“What are you doing up and not resting your knee?” He reached her and looked at the bubbling pot she stirred. “Not that I don’t appreciate you fixing something to eat.”
“The walking stick you so graciously provided helps me get around.” She smiled at him. “Besides, the soup was easy to make.”
He breathed in the delicious aroma. “Smells great.” His stomach growled in agreement. “What’s in it?”
“The kitchen sink.” She gestured to the stainless-steel fridge. “You had a lot of leftovers. Shredded beef, potatoes, other veggies, and I added a can of stewed tomatoes from the pantry along with lots of salt and ground pepper. I started out sautéing an onion I found next to the canned food, and I went from there.”
“I could eat the whole pot.” He grabbed a couple of large soup mugs from a cabinet, then gathered spoons and a ladle.
Abby ladled soup into the mugs, steam rising in wisps. “I know it’s hot outside, but this was easy.”
“It’s perfect, hun.” He wondered at how easily he called her that as he carried the mugs and spoons to the table. “Besides, it’s almost fall.”
Abby followed him, leaning heavily on the walking stick. He hated that she’d been injured yesterday, and his gut twisted at the thought. She could have been more seriously injured in that accident, or even killed—he didn’t know how he’d handle losing her when he’d just found her.
She placed the staff against the wall and slid onto a bench seat. “In this part of Arizona, I don’t think fall comes until November.”
“We pretend it gets here earlier.” He retrieved glasses with ice and a pitcher of tea from the fridge and set everything on the table. A container with sweeteners was already there. He took the bench seat across from her and poured two glasses of tea. “One of these days I’ll make my homemade chili with beans for you.”
The thought of having her here beyond what they’d both expected at the start sent warmth through him.
She smiled as she took the glass he handed her and set it by her soup mug. “I look forward to it.”
Damn, he loved her smile and the way freckles scattered across her nose, like kisses from the sun.
He spooned mostly beef and potatoes with a slight amount of broth and ate it—the soup was delicious. “This is great.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Abby scooped broth and beef in her spoon. “How was your morning?”
He had a mouthful of soup and shrugged as he swallowed. “We’ve been preparing for the additional cattle I’m buying at the auction this November, when prices tend to be the lowest.” He drank from his iced tea, the liquid cooling his insides after the hot soup.
She held her spoon. “If you’re ready to move forward, we can get you started so that your fencing will all be up by mid-October.”
“You can have your office email the contract and invoice.” His spoon clanked against his mug. “I’d like to have it installed as soon as possible.”
“Once you set me up at your desk, I touched base with my sister, Emma, who runs the front office and does the books,” Abby said.” She’s helping me reconstruct everything that I hadn’t already uploaded and lost in the fire. She’ll be the one to coordinate the contractor and start date.”
Brady frowned. “I’m glad you weren’t in the B B when the fire started.” He shook his head. “Although, you were almost flattened by a raging bull, so neither were good options.”
She looked at him thoughtfully. “I’m glad I was with you.”
They held gazes for a long moment, then he found himself looking at her beautifully kissable lips. He wanted to kiss her so damned badly it was killing him to hold himself back.
This was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Now he had to convince her that she wanted the same. He didn’t know when he’d made up his mind, and he wasn’t worried that she’d break his heart—why, he didn’t know. He just felt it soul-deep, that they were meant for each other. He’d never felt that with another woman.
“I need to get some things for the ranch in Phoenix.” He cleared his throat. “What do you say to a shopping trip in Scottsdale tomorrow? We can get you a new phone, laptop, clothes, and whatever else you need to replace.”
“Perfect.” She looked both relieved and thrilled. “I ordered a replacement driver’s license, but I won’t get it for a few days. Since I don’t have ID yet for the bank, if you’re okay with it, Emma can wire funds to your checking account, so I’ll have something to shop with.”
Brady held up his hand. “I’ll pay for everything up front and give you cash to have on hand. You can pay me back when we know what the total is.”
She looked like she was going to argue but let out a sigh instead. “Thank you. That’s probably the best way to do it since I don’t know how much I’ll need.” Still, she frowned. “You’re sure?”
He lowered his hand. “It’s no problem.”
She slowly nodded. “Okay.”
“How about a movie on TV tonight?” Brady sat back in his seat. “Plenty of good flicks are streaming, including a couple that were just in the theaters.”
Abby smiled. “That sounds nice.”
He got to his feet and held out his hand to help her up. Her hand felt small and warm in his, and some kind of energy traveled between them.
She withdrew her hand and reached for the staff, but her knee gave out. She gave a small cry as she started to fall, but he caught her to him.
Her body felt soft in his arms and her breasts pressed against his chest. Her lips parted as she looked up into his eyes. His throat worked as he froze, not wanting to let her go. No, he wanted to kiss her long and hard.
Abby moved her mouth to his almost before he could complete his thought. She kissed him hard and urgently and he felt her need straight down to his boots. He answered her kiss with his own desire and his head nearly spun from the intensity of it.
She withdrew and her eyes looked warm and wondering, as if she wasn’t sure what had just happened. “Nope, she’s wrong.”
He blinked, thrown off by her statement.
“She’s wrong,” Abby repeated. “You’re a fantastic kisser.”
Brady couldn’t help a soft laugh. “I’m glad you think so.”
She smiled and reached for the staff. “Let’s take care of the dishes. I also need to throw my clothes in the washer again so that I have something to wear tomorrow.”
He studied her. “All right, but don’t think we’re not going to talk about what just happened.”
Abby’s expression turned innocent. “What’s that?”
Brady swooped down and gave her a swift kiss before drawing back and seeing her breathless look. “That.”
“Um, yeah.” She ran her tongue along her lower lip. “If you’re not careful, we won’t be doing much talking.”
He groaned. “You’re killing me.”
She moved away from him. “I’m going to change into the T-shirt you loaned me and I’ll be right back to do my laundry.”
He would have offered to help, but that would probably be pushing it.
So, dishes it was.
Abby felt apprehensive about only wearing Brady’s XL T-shirt when she walked into his entertainment room. She didn’t want him getting the wrong idea—he’d know exactly what she didn’t have on beneath it.
He was in the kitchen gathering drinks and popcorn. She plopped onto the well-kept but worn leather couch in the comfortable room. The leather felt cool beneath her bare thighs, and she tugged the T-shirt hem as far down as it would go.
She busied herself with the remote, a flutter in her belly. Should she have kissed him in the kitchen? He sure hadn’t minded, so why was she concerned?
Because she didn’t want things to rush too fast. She was just realizing how much she cared about the man, and she needed to take a breath and think without letting her hormones get the best of her.
Brady walked into the room, the smell of fresh popcorn accompanying him. He set the huge bowl and two bottles of beer on the coffee table that was a cross-section of a large tree, glossy with a thick coating of lacquer.
He sat near her with a foot of space between them. She appreciated that he didn’t crowd her and assume that she wanted him practically on top of her.
Well, that would no doubt be more than pleasant, but no, not yet.
“That smells amazing.” She picked up the bowl and set it on her lap, deterrent number one. “Fresh and buttery, yum.” She crunched on some while he flipped through the streaming options.
He paused and glanced at her. “What are you up for?”
She cocked her head. “I’ve been so busy that I haven’t paid attention to what’s out.”
“Let’s see what we can find.” He went through the various streaming outlets, and they finally settled on a superhero flick.
She clung to the popcorn bowl, holding it in her lap with one arm while gripping her beer bottle with her opposite hand as she settled in to watch the movie with Brady.
Right before he started it, Brady looked at her. “Mind if I move closer?”
Abby had just stuffed her mouth with popcorn, and she froze for a moment before nodding and trying to chew and swallow so that she could speak as he slid next to her.
She cleared her throat. “One thing.”
He met her gaze. “Yes?”
“I—” Heat rushed to her face, and she had no idea why she suddenly felt so embarrassed. “I want to slow down and not repeat what happened earlier.”
A sexy smile curved the corner of his mouth. “What happened?”
Her face grew hotter. “You kissed me.”
He raised a brow. “You’re forgetting something—you kissed me.”
She looked at the bowl on her lap. “You got me there.”
He laughed and put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “I promise you that we’re going to enjoy a movie together and you don’t have to worry about me making advances.”
She blew out a long breath. “Thank you.”
He pointed the remote at the screen. “Now, sit back and enjoy the movie.”
Abby stuffed more popcorn in her mouth, so aware of the man sitting next to her, his arm around her shoulders. She wanted to move even closer, but she forced herself to keep some space between them. Through a greater amount of willpower than she thought she had, she managed to keep her hands to herself through the entire movie.
She knew that if she had given him the opening, he would have taken it, but it was better to take it slow.
When it was over, Brady turned off the TV, stood, and gave a tired smile as he looked down at her. “Ready for bed?”
Abby covered a yawn and nodded. Her knee throbbed and she just wanted to climb under the sheets.
Brady grabbed the walking stick and held his hand out to Abby. She took it and admired the flex of his biceps and forearm as he drew her to her feet. She took the walking stick from him before he picked up the popcorn bowl and beer bottles. He carried the bowl and bottles as they left the room and he deposited them in the kitchen.
“I forgot to put my clothes in the dryer,” she said. Normally she would have air-dried her lingerie, but she didn’t have that luxury when she only had one outfit to wear.
“I’ll take care of it once you’re tucked in bed.” He smiled and gestured toward the archway that led into the hallway.
He walked her to the guest room and stood in the doorway as she turned to face him. Her heart beat faster at the look in his eyes. Hungry, yet controlled.
One kiss. Just one kiss was all she wanted.
But it wouldn’t be enough, and she wouldn’t be able to stop once they started.
Her throat worked as she swallowed. “Good night, Brady.”
He gave her a slow, sensual smile that curled her toes. “Sleep tight, hun.” He grasped the doorknob and pulled the door shut behind him.