Blame it on Texas by Amie Louellen Page A

in less than a week you’ve already talked her back into your bed.”
    “She’s been gone seven years.” Seven years, 2 months, and twelve hours. But who was counting?
    “You know what I mean.”
    Ritt took a swing of his beer and shook his head. “It’s not like that.”
    Kyle raised a brow, his smirk saying it all. “Then what’s it like?”
    “She wants a divorce.”
    “Not if she’s sleeping with you.”
    “It’s not like that,” Ritt said again, sucking down his beer and wishing for something stronger. Like that would help. One touch from Shelby was so intoxicating to his senses even moonshine paled in comparison. “For as long as I’ve known her, Shelby has wanted to be stable and respectable. Now she’s got a shot at everything she’s always wanted. I can’t blow that for her.” He hadn’t realized until he said the words how true they were.
    Guilt swamped him. He had been manipulating her from the start, not signing, teasing her, kissing her, when all she wanted was a fresh start.
    “And you aren’t respectable?”
    “I work at the bait shop. I live with my parents. I’m still driving the first truck I ever bought.”
    Kyle snorted in disgust. “Why do you do this?” He shook his head. “Why do you sell yourself short? Drive yourself down?”
    Ritt stood on suddenly wobbly knees. He held his arms up as if to embrace the room. “This is it,” he said, gesturing to the room at large. “This is my life. This is who I am. I can’t change for anybody. I don’t want to change.”
    “Not even for Shelby?”
    “You don’t get, it do you? I’m so seven years ago.”
    “Oh, I get it all right. You’re afraid to show her who you really are, because if you do and she rejects you then, what do you have? At least this way you have a chance.” All the anger drained out of his voice. He shook his head. “I never thought I’d say this, but I feel sorry for you, Ritt.”
    “Don’t bother.” He scoffed at the idea, but the words cut him to the core. Was he so easy to read, so transparent that his kid brother could see right through every excuse he had? “I’ll go make your bed.”
    If he took that chance and it fell through, then he would be left with nothing. Nothing at all.

Chapter Seven
    After avoiding Ritt for the rest of the evening, how ironic was it that he filled her thoughts so completely?
    Kyle had gone to his room, and Ritt had slammed out the screen door that led to the back. That left Shelby alone in the bedroom, flipping back and forth, trying to get comfortable and trying to forget the sizzle of Ritt’s lips on her skin.
    She turned over once again, biting back a growl of frustration. She was pretty sure that Kyle was already fast asleep, but she didn’t want to disturb him just in case.
    Clyde gave a small woof and jumped down from the bed, his solid weight hitting the floor with a thunk. He scratched at the door, then turned to gaze at her with his sad eyes.
    Shelby pushed back the covers and padded over to Clyde. “You wanna go outside?” She followed him out of the bedroom. He looked back every few feet to make sure she still followed.
    He made his way to the back door, tags jingling and toenails clicking against the wood floor. He stopped at the screen door and sat back on his haunches. He whined, raised one paw and threw back his head as if to bray out his frustrations.
    “I hear ya, boy.” He whined again, and Shelby opened the door, watching the short-legged dog waddle down the steps.
    Clyde trotted over to the dark form slung between two large trees and raised his head to give a little bark.
    The sound of Ritt’s voice floated over to her, his words unintelligible as he rubbed the dog behind the ears. Then he lifted the pooch into the hammock with him.
    As if of their own accord, her feet carried her down the stairs and across the patchy yard. It wasn’t the easiest thing to keep grass growing in the West Texas heat. It seemed as if Wayne McCoy had long ago