Читать книгу Dropping The Hammer - Joanna Wayne - Страница 15

Chapter Six

Luke’s emotions had run the gauntlet over the past few hours. His nerves had skidded along for the maddening ride from concern to fuming to disgruntled exasperation. By the time he stopped behind a row of three pickup trucks at the Kavanaugh house, he was slowly inching toward reason.

His dad hadn’t sent for him and clearly didn’t want him around. The easiest and likely the smartest thing Luke could do right now was clear out. Let his dad hire someone to run his own damn ranch any way he liked or let it go to weed and empty pastures if that was the way hardheaded Alfred Dawkins wanted it.

But Luke had never looked for the easy way out or shirked responsibility—which left him stuck neck-deep in the dilemma of where to go from here.

He struggled to rein in his conflicting emotions as he reached Esther’s wide front porch. He put his hand on the doorbell but didn’t push.

Coming here was a mistake. There was no way he’d be decent dinner company tonight. Besides, judging from the trucks parked out front, he was likely late.

Before he could cut and run, the door opened and Rachel Maxwell greeted him with a melodic hello that softened the edges of his lousy mood like magic.

Her voice wasn’t the half of it. She’d been a knockout this morning in her jeans and cotton shirt. All fancied up, she was luscious.

It wasn’t the dress so much as the way she wore it. The soft fabric hugged her perfect breasts and then tightened at her tiny waist before billowing out over her shapely hips.

The skirt stopped a few inches above the knees, highlighting her dynamite calves and the straps on a pair of nosebleed heels that wrapped around her slender ankles.

When she smiled and looked at him with those gold-specked, dusky eyes, he turned away to keep from melting. He had to pull his gaze away from her before he could speak.

“I didn’t know we were playing dress-up. I’d have come with my boots shined and my jeans creased,” he said, determined to keep the tone light.

She laughed and motioned him inside. “You’ll fit in perfectly. Normally I’d be in jeans myself, but I decided to go for the girly look at Grace’s baby shower this afternoon.”

“You aced it.”

“Thank you, I guess.”

“Is this the Grace who’s married to Pierce Lawrence?”

“Yes. Have you met her?”

“Haven’t had the pleasure.”

“You’ll love her, guaranteed. She went home to rest awhile, but she’ll be back for dinner.”

“Then I must be too early. I’m not crashing,” he teased. “I was actually invited by Esther, but she didn’t mention a time.”

“The guys are doing the cooking chores tonight You can never tie them down to a time. They tend to grill for hours.”

“Ranchers need their beef and plenty of it,” Luke said.

“So it seems. I’m a city girl myself. Sushi and a salad are my usual Saturday night splurge.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that.”

“Does that mean you’re a cowboy, too?”

“I am this week.”

“There must be a story there.”

“Not one you’d want to hear before dinner—or after, either, for that matter.”

“Now you’ve really piqued my curiosity. Do you know all three of the Lawrence brothers?”

“We went to school together many years ago.”

“Pierce and Riley are in the backyard slaving over the hot charcoal. They may put you to work if you venture that way, but I’m sure they’d love to see you again and say hello.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

“Then follow me.”

The view was almost as spectacular from the rear. Hard to imagine he could feel anything sensual after the visit he’d had with his father, but maybe it was his survival instincts kicking in. Or perhaps the fact that he hadn’t been with a woman in more months than he could count on his fingers and toes.

More likely it was simply that she was a natural temptress.

They walked through the house, onto the covered back porch and down the few steps to the yard. Mouthwatering odors spilled from a huge barrel-shaped grill.

They walked closer and watched as Riley basted a slab of ribs with one hand. The fingers of the other hand were wrapped around a beer.

Pierce stepped over to greet them. “Glad you could make it, Luke. Esther said she twisted your arm to accept her dinner invitation.”

“Actually, she just said ‘food’ and I jumped at the chance.”

“As you can see, we have enough meat here to clog the arteries of a dozen more guys,” Riley said.

“Don’t bet on it. My arteries haven’t seen a Texas meal like this in recent memory.”

Pierce turned to Riley. “You remember Luke Dawkins, don’t you?”