Chapter 13
The haunting, gentle melody of the fiddle in the distance filled the air. How many times had Clayton sat on the back porch and listened to the ranch hands playing after dinner?
“It’s beautiful. But sad.”
He turned his head at the sound of Abby’s voice as she walked from the house. “Haven’t you heard? All country songs are sad. Even when they’re upbeat.”
She grinned and moved to stand beside him with her hands in her coat pockets. “I suppose you’re right. Do they always play?”
“Nearly every night.”
“How many live on the ranch?”
He shrugged and looped a thumb through his belt loop. “Only a handful now. Most have families they return to. Those who stay are the ones who are divorced or never got married.”
“And Shane?” she asked.
“Never married.” Clayton looked into the distance. “That’s him playing.”
She was silent for a long while as she listened to the music. “He seems like a nice guy.”
“One of the best. It’s not right that he’s alone.”
Abby turned to lean back against one of the columns to face him. “You can’t say that and leave me hanging,” she replied with a quick grin.
Clayton chuckled softly. “No, I don’t suppose I can.” He ran a hand over his jaw. “Shane fell in love once. Hell, I bet he’s still in love with Irene.”
“Why didn’t they marry?”
“She was already married. To his brother.”
Abby’s face paled. “Oh, God.”
Clayton nodded slowly. “She wanted to leave Shane’s brother, Paul, but Shane wouldn’t have it. Paul was madly in love with Irene, as well, and Shane didn’t want to come between them.”
“So they’re still together?”
“That’s how it should’ve ended. But she couldn’t let go of Shane. It wasn’t long before Paul discovered what was going on, and he confronted Shane right here on the ranch.”
Abby’s blue eyes widened. “You saw it?”
“All of it. Shane was trying to tell his brother he hadn’t touched her, but Paul was beyond listening to reason.
It didn’t help that Irene had run away from Paul and come here to Shane.
There was a fight, which was bad enough, but Paul also brought a gun.
He got the upper hand because Shane wouldn’t defend himself.
Then Paul went to shoot Shane. Instead, Irene stepped between them and took the bullet.
She died in Shane’s arms. That was twenty years ago. Shane and Paul haven’t spoken since.”
“That’s so tragic.”
“I don’t think Shane has ever recovered from it.”
Abby looked toward the bunkhouse where the music came from. “I don’t think many people would.”
Clayton glanced behind him through the wall of windows to see his mother in the kitchen. “Mom has tried to set Shane up multiple times. She thinks he should find someone and be happy.”
“I agree with her. Don’t you?”
“I do, actually.” At Abby’s raised brows, Clayton found himself grinning. “Did I surprise you?”
She laughed and nodded. “You did. I was expecting you to say something like ‘perhaps the past won’t let go of Shane.’”
Clayton knew for a fact that the past never let go, but he didn’t tell her that. Abby had her own worries. There was no need to drag her into the mire with his.
“Did you make a lot of headway tonight with the books?” he asked, wanting to change the subject.
She wrinkled her nose as she lifted her shoulders to her ears. “I wish I could say yes, but your mom came into the office.”
“No need to say more,” he interrupted her. “Mom loves to talk.”
“We had a nice chat until she went to cook dinner. I did get to work some then. I’m sorry it’s taking so long.”
He wasn’t. The longer it took her, the more he got to see her. He probably shouldn’t ask her to come every day so she could rest, but Clayton couldn’t quite get the words out. “Don’t think twice about it.”
“I’ll work harder this weekend.”
He grinned in response because he didn’t intend to let her work all weekend. But there was no need to tell her that. Abby would just argue.
“Walk with me?” he said as he stepped down from the porch. He held her gaze, silently daring her to find a reason to object.
To his surprise, she said, “Okay.”
He waited until she stepped from the porch, and then they leisurely strolled the grounds in comfortable silence. They stopped beside a paddock and watched some yearlings that were being sold to fill other rancher’s stock.
“Your mom told me you were working in South Africa before you returned,” Abby said. “Do you plan to go back?”
If she’d asked him three days ago, his answer would’ve been a firm yes. Now, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. “The longer I’m here, the more I remember how much I love this place.”
“Then maybe you’re meant to stay,” she said, looking up at him.
“Maybe.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear and swallowed. “I might be out of line for saying this, but you look as if you belong here.”
He shot her smile and motioned for her to follow him into one of the barns. Clayton took her back to the white mare she’d petted the day before. He’d seen the way Abby had connected with the animal, and he wanted to build on that bond.
As soon as Abby saw the mare, the smile that pulled at her lips displayed her joy. She oohed and ahhed over the horse.
“Her name is Diamond.”
“Diamond,” Abby repeated as she stroked the horse’s neck. “It fits you.”
The mare had fallen for Abby almost immediately, and Clayton could understand why.
There was something about the woman that drew people and animals.
She was quiet and unassuming. He suspected that might be because so many people overlooked her.
That was their loss because there was so much about Abby that was intriguing.
“You’re staring,” she said as she cut her eyes to him.
Clayton lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I like what I see.”
She paused in her caress of the mare. Then she took a step back, and then another and another before she turned and walked away.
He frowned as anger spiked through him. He’d moved too fast. Abby was like a spooked mare. He should’ve trodden slowly. Earned her trust first.
When Abby reached the back of the barn, she stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. It was the seductive curve of her lips that halted his thoughts. As soon as she turned the corner, he started after her.
His blood rushed through him in a frenzy before pooling in his cock. With his heart beating furiously, he found her leaning back against the barn.
Clayton stood before her. His palms ached to feel her skin, to hold her glorious curves against him. He couldn’t seem to catch his breath, and as he took a step closer to her, he realized that it had been years since he’d hungered to kiss anyone as he did Abby.
Her lips parted, drawing his attention to her mouth. The longing he’d suppressed for days consumed him. He took the final step that brought their bodies close. The soft light from over the barn couldn’t reach them in the shadows.
He held her gaze and put a hand on her waist before slowly pulling her against him. Her palms landed on his upper arms. Then she lifted her face to him. That’s all it took to push him over the edge.
Clayton lowered his head, her eyes drifting shut right before their lips met. He softly plied her mouth with light kisses until her hands moved up his arms and twined around his neck. When she sighed, he slid his tongue against her lips.
As her mouth opened, and their tongues met, need coursed through him.
The desire, the yearning to have her seized him, overwhelmed him as the kiss deepened.
He wound one hand into her long hair while his other splayed over her back.
With each lick, each sigh, each moan, the hunger grew.
Without a doubt, he had to have her. Not because he was in need, but because he ached for her.
But now wasn’t the time. He wouldn’t have their first time together be against the back of the barn in the shadows so no one saw them. He wasn’t ashamed of Abby, and he wanted her to know that. He cared about her.
That in and of itself shocked him, but he accepted it. What choice did he have, really?
Clayton knew he had to end the kiss now before he was past the point of no return. Already he was circling down that drain. He forced himself to pull back. Then he saw her heavy-lidded eyes and the way her chest heaved.
He ran his thumb over her swollen lips and briefly thought of picking her up and riding somewhere where no one could find them. Luckily, there was enough sanity left in him that he was able to keep dominion over his desire.
“Why did you stop?” she asked.
He was glad she didn’t know how easily she could’ve broken through his restraint by simply pulling his head down for another kiss. That’s all it would’ve taken. He wanted her so badly he shook with it.
“I’m already walking a tightrope, Abby,” he confessed. “If I keep kissing you, I won’t stop.”
“I don’t want you to stop.”
He groaned at her husky words. If he wanted to stay in control, he had to reason with her, and he knew just the thing to say.
“You don’t want your brothers finding us, do you?”
Just as he expected, it was as if she were doused with cold water. “Or your parents.”
He forced a smile even as he missed the sexy woman who had been begging for more kisses a moment before. But he’d find her again soon enough. “Exactly.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve kissed anyone.”
“Their loss. My gain.” And damn if he didn’t feel male pride at having her in his arms.
She glanced at the ground as she smiled. Then her gaze met his as she pulled her hands down to rest on his chest. “Be careful, Clayton East, I might realize you’re a good guy.”
“I can promise you that I’m not.”
Her grin widened. “You’re wrong.”
He drew in a breath and took a step back, separating their bodies. There were no more words needed as they began their walk back to the house. No sooner had they reached the porch than her brothers opened the back door to look for her.
“I’m so full my stomach hurts,” Caleb said, looking a bit green.
Brice rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t have eaten that slice of cake after the pie and the four cookies.”
“Caleb,” Abby admonished with a roll of her eyes.
Her youngest brother put one hand over his stomach as he raised the other, palm out. “Give me five minutes, and I can eat the ice cream Mrs. Justine offered.”
“Oh, no you’re not,” Abby set. “You’ve had more than enough.”
Caleb’s face crumbled in a frown. “Abby, that’s not fair. Brice ate just as much as I did. And he had the ice cream.”
Clayton hid his smile as Abby swung her perturbed gaze to Brice.
The teen merely grinned and shrugged. “What? I can hold my food better.”
“Oh, my God, you two,” Abby mumbled. “Grab your coats. We need to get going.”
When the boys went back into the house, Clayton grabbed her hand before she could follow them. Abby turned to him. As her big blue eyes met his, he grinned.
She gave him a wink in return. He reluctantly released her hand as they entered the house. There was a round of good-byes with his parents before he walked her to the door.
Right before she closed the car door, he said, “Be careful.”
“Always,” she replied.