Читать книгу Safe In The Rancher's Arms: Stranded with the Rancher / Sheltered by the Millionaire / Pregnant by the Texan - Джанис Мейнард, Catherine Mann - Страница 17

Ten

Drew brooded about the unsettling encounter with Beth’s brother all the way into town. No wonder Beth had warned him off. Audie’s reinvention of himself might or might not be the real deal. Only time would tell. But Drew was determined to insert himself between Beth and the stress of looking after her brother. She didn’t need to worry about Audie and his family if Drew was around to help. It was the least Drew could do.

In Royal, reality hit once again. Sifting through the wreckage of Town Hall was a distraction, but not a welcome one. Knowing people had lost their lives on this very spot was sobering. A pall of tragedy lay over the site. Though at least two dozen volunteers worked side by side in an attempt to recover valuable records, there was no joking, no camaraderie. Faces were grim. Eyes were shadowed with grief.

Lord knew how anything would ever get back to normal.

In the midst of the backbreaking work, once again Drew realized how lucky he and Beth had been. Imagining her snatched from his side by a killer tornado made him queasy. And it could have happened. So easily....

Today, the skies above were innocent and blue, nothing at all like what he remembered from the day of the storm. He had a feeling that many in Royal would experience post-traumatic stress in the weeks and months to come. Thankfully, the calendar said they were on the tail end of tornado season, but next spring would be another story. Every thunderstorm promised to be nerve-wracking, especially for the children who didn’t really understand these things.

Pausing to take a swig of water, he noticed a piece of paper flapping in the breeze, anchored by a chunk of concrete block. He squatted to pick it up and saw that it was a fragment of a marriage license. Neither of the names was familiar to him. But for a moment, he was struck by how many people would be affected by this mess at Town Hall. Were any of the computer records recoverable?

After his long, difficult shift wrapped up, he acknowledged he wasn’t going to have any peace of mind until he had it out with Beth. He was hot and tired and second-guessing himself about getting involved with Audie. Sooner or later he would have to confess to Beth what he had done. His job offer had been motivated by a desire to help Beth, perhaps even to earn her gratitude. But he was coming to realize that she didn’t always see things the way Drew did. He would postpone that hurdle for as long as possible.

Cell service was pretty good now. He thought about calling or texting, but instead, he drove over to the shelter, arriving just as Beth walked out the front door. She didn’t notice him at first. Her head was bent as she talked softly to a little bundle of caramel-colored fur.

Drew closed the distance between them. “I remember that little fellow. What’s his name?”

Beth halted abruptly, seeming startled but pleased to see him. “I call him Stormy. It turns out his owners abandoned him the other day. I may adopt him as soon as my house is finished.”

“Lucky dog.” He toyed with the puppy’s ear. “We need to talk about last night.”

Beth’s cheeks turned pink. “Lower your voice, for Pete’s sake. And if you mean the sex—” She stopped abruptly.

He smoothed her hair behind her ear. She hadn’t worn it up this time. The long gold waves danced in the breeze. “What about the sex?”

Her head ducked as she focused all her interest on the dog. “It was good.”

“Good? That’s it? Not much of an affirmation.”

“What do you want from me, Drew?” She shot him a sideways glance that told him she wasn’t accustomed to discussing her sex life so matter-of-factly.

Come to think of it, neither was he. But he wanted to be sure that last night was not a one-time thing. “I’ve thought about you all day,” he murmured, thankful that Megan was not in earshot. “I was disappointed to wake up and find you gone.”

“I wasn’t thinking very clearly. I didn’t want to make a mistake.”

“And did you?”

At last she raised her chin. Squaring her shoulders, she met his gaze full on, her smile small but genuine. “I’ll let you know.”

He shook his head with a rueful grin, glancing at his watch. “You’re a hard woman, Beth Andrews.” Her stubbornness worried him on another count. Drew planned to tell her he had hired Audie. And to explain that his intention in doing so was to make life easier for Beth...because he cared about her.

But her pride and her aversion to taking help might be Drew’s downfall. This thing between the two of them was fragile. Before confessing, he had to be sure she wanted him enough to overlook the fact that he had gone behind her back.

“I came by with a proposition,” he said. “How would you feel about a quick trip to Dallas?”

“Don’t we have plenty to do here?”

“Of course we do. But Jed is supposed to be present at a meeting tomorrow morning at his headquarters. He doesn’t want to leave Kimberly right now, so I said I would take his place since I sit on his board. If you come along, we can spend the night, have a nice dinner, take a break from all of this.”

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

“I thought you might say that. Kimberly works at a clothing store in town.”

“A very high-end establishment,” Beth said wryly. “Not my price range at all.”

“She’s already picked out several outfits with her discount. You can return any you don’t like.”

“Has anyone ever told you how bossy you are?”

“It might have come up.” He kissed her cheek. “C’mon, Beth. Say yes.”

“Isn’t it a little late to be booking a flight?”

“I have a helicopter.”

* * *

Well, of course you do. Beth gaped, although why she was surprised, she didn’t know. Drew was an incredibly wealthy man. “I see.” She wrinkled her nose, deciding how honest she was willing to be. “After the tornado, I’m not sure I’m up for riding in anything that whirls in the sky.”

Drew chuckled. “My pilot is one of the best. You have nothing to worry about.”

Except being wined and dined and treated like a queen and falling in love with the king. That kind of stuff could go to a girl’s head. “Okay. But I’ve never flown before, so if I freak out, it’s all your fault.”

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her ear. “I’ll take care of you, Beth. I swear.”

He was warm and tall, and his hard, muscled arms folded her close. Instinctively, she leaned into him, her back against his chest. Her heart began to jump and race. Stormy wriggled in her arms, ready to get down and play. Beth swallowed hard. “I should see if Megan needs anything else.”

Drew nipped her earlobe. “Come home with me, now. Kimberly promised to have the dresses at the ranch by dinnertime. She and Jed are going to eat with us. After that, I’m planning on an early night.”

Beth peeked over her shoulder, their lips almost touching. “Because you’re exhausted from working all day?”

Drew’s eyes flashed with barely concealed hunger. His jaw, covered in dark stubble, was carved in granite. Clearly, he hadn’t shaved that morning. “I could be comatose,” he said gruffly, “and I would still want you in my bed. But don’t count on getting much sleep. You can nap at the hotel tomorrow while I go to the meeting.”

An odd lethargy stole through Beth’s muscles, making her limbs weak. He smelled of sweat and warm male. Not a combination she’d ever found erotic before now. But then again, Drew Farrell was one of a kind.

“Let me tell Megan I’m leaving,” she whispered, ruefully aware that his sexuality drew her despite her determination to establish boundaries. She didn’t even want to resist. Not anymore.

Drew waited in his truck with the engine running while she said her goodbyes and tucked Stormy back into his cage. The puppy settled onto his soft, warm blanket and rested his chin on his paws, regarding her with mournful eyes.

“Don’t give me that look,” she said, laughing at the small animal’s innate ability to make her feel guilty. “You’re going to live with me. But not yet.”

With one quick word to Megan, who was struggling to coax a large Labrador into eating unfamiliar food, Beth grabbed her purse and her water bottle and ran outside. Drew’s impatience was palpable.

Grinning to herself—equally eager for the night ahead—she pulled in behind him and followed him back to the ranch.

* * *

An hour later, standing in the beautiful bedroom Drew had given her, Beth stared at herself in the mirror and bit her lip. “I don’t know, Kimberly. Isn’t it a little...um...skimpy?”

Kimberly laughed, handing her a mist-gray shawl that was soft as a butterfly wing. “The dress is perfect. It showcases your assets.”

If by assets the other woman meant breasts, then yes. No question there. The black cocktail dress dipped low in the front and even lower in the back. The silk and jersey blend clung to every curve of Beth’s body as if it had been sewn onto her. Narrow rhinestone straps were its only embellishment.

“This must be horribly expensive,” she said. How could she justify purchasing anything so frivolous and impractical when her house was partially demolished? She was playing dress-up with a man who was way out of her league.

“I’m giving you my discount. You can afford all of this stuff and not break the bank.” Kimberly obviously picked up on Beth’s ambivalence. She shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. “I think I know what’s going on. You have a thing for Drew, but you don’t want to get hurt.”

“You have to admit that we’re an unlikely couple. His prize thoroughbreds have a better lineage than I do.”

Kimberly took her arm and steered her toward a chair, forcing her to sit. The other woman stretched out on the bed on her side, propping up on one elbow. “Let me tell you a story, Beth. It might help.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“Jed and I were high school sweethearts.”

“I had no idea.”

“Well, it was a long time ago. Up until this summer when he came home for our reunion, I hadn’t seen him in a decade.”

“That must have been odd.”

“Odd and awkward. Because I was the one who broke up with him.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah. We were madly in love. He was headed off to college, but he wanted to give me a ring before he left.”

“And what about you?”

“I didn’t have the money to go to college. My parents and younger brother were killed in a car accident when I was fifteen. There was only a tiny life insurance policy. My grandmother lived with us and was in poor health. So, all during high school I was her caretaker. It was everything I could do to keep my grades up, go out with Jed occasionally and make sure Grammy was looked after.”

“That must have been terrible.”

“Not terrible, exactly. Just a lot of hard work. But by the time graduation rolled around, I realized that Grammy was sliding into dementia. Jed was brilliant. He had multiple acceptance letters from colleges and universities all over the country. But he chose to go to Austin so he would be able to come home and see me regularly.”

“So why did you break it off?”

“I knew it was an impossible situation. He deserved to do all the things young men are supposed to do when they get out on their own. I couldn’t bear the thought of dragging him down.”

“I see.”

“I don’t think you do. I made assumptions about his feelings for me. I told myself it was puppy love. That he would meet lots of girls in college—suitable females with family backgrounds similar to his. I did the noble thing and let him go.”

“And?”

“I broke his heart,” Kimberly said flatly, her eyes shadowed with remembered grief. “And I broke my own. All because I had issues with self-esteem and a chip on my shoulder about my circumstances.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

Kimberly’s smile was gentle. “Royal is a small town when all is said and done. I know there have been unkind people over the years who have slandered your reputation. And I remember your mother. She wasn’t much of a parent.”

“Don’t forget my wonderful brother,” Beth quipped. Hearing Kimberly voice the truth hurt. A lot.

Kimberly shook her head. “No one who takes the time to know you will ever believe that you are anything but a strong, talented, amazing woman.”

Beth refused to cry, though her eyes burned. “Thanks for the pep talk.”

“I’m serious, Beth. If there’s something between you and Drew...something real, don’t be as stupid as I was. Don’t throw away love.”

“Who said anything about love?”

“I saw the way he looked at you this morning.”

“That was lust. There’s a difference.”

“And which is it for you?”

The pointed question put a lump in Beth’s throat and made her stomach hurt. “The man is a billionaire.”

“The man is a man. We all need someone to love. I’ve been lucky enough to get a second chance. I don’t care how much money Jed has. He loves me, and I love him, and we’re having a baby. That’s something money can’t buy.”

Beth jumped to her feet, stripping off the dress and putting on a clean pair of jeans and a long-sleeved lavender top. “Thank you for bringing the clothes. If you’ll give me the receipt, I’ll write you a check.”

Kimberly nodded. “I’ll get it to you tomorrow. And listen, Beth, take things slow if you’re scared, but don’t run away. You and Drew could easily have been killed, but you weren’t. Haven’t you wondered why?”

“Mother Nature is random in her violence.”