look as if they’d been kissing, but her mother wouldn’t suspect anything more. She hoped. She dabbed water on her face and wiped it with a paper towel.
The front door opened.
“I’m back,” Clara called.
“I’m in here,” Merissa called. She smiled at her mother. “Dalton’s in the bathroom,” she whispered.
“Ah.” Clara put the walnuts on the counter. “The car’s making funny noises,” she said sadly. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I do,” Dalton said from the doorway. He didn’t look disheveled at all. His hair was combed and he was smiling. “I’m sending one of my mechanics over tomorrow to have a look at it. But this time, he’ll come with Darby Hanes. So if anybody else shows up and claims to be sent by us, you call the ranch house first. Okay?”
“Okay. Dalton, you really shouldn’t,” Clara began worriedly. “I mean, you’ve done so much already...”
“We take care of family,” he told her. And he looked at Merissa in a way that made her cheeks go red.
Clara started to speak but didn’t.
Dalton just chuckled. “I’m going to be a pest,” he told her. “Sorry. But your daughter is like flowers to a bee. Can’t stay away,” he said, and his voice dropped an octave as he looked at her.
“I don’t mind,” Merissa said, her own voice full of soft meaning.
Dalton winked at her. He checked his watch. “I have to go,” he said. “I need to pack to get ready for the Texas trip.”
“You’re going to Texas?” Clara asked.
“Yes. I’m going to talk to Sheriff Carson and a couple of feds about my run-in with the drug cartel.”
“Not alone?” Clara continued, concerned.
Tank chuckled again. “Rourke’s got a buddy who’s going to cover me like tar paper,” he told her. “I’ll be fine.”
“In that case, I won’t worry.” She smiled. “Have a safe trip.” She lifted her head and groaned. “He’s still at it!”
They heard the tapping on the wood outside Clara’s bedroom window.
“The woodpecker.” Clara laughed. “I’d better go feed him before he breaks into the house.”
She took a package of walnut halves, opened it and walked toward the back of the house.
When they heard the back door slam, Tank pulled Merissa close and kissed her with a new tenderness. He drew back, smoothing his big hand over her blond hair.
“We’re going to be very good together,” he whispered.
She flushed. “Listen, I’m very... I mean I...I can’t...”
He hugged her tight. “I won’t ask you to. That’s a promise. I have something more permanent in mind.”
“Permanent?” she asked at his chest.
He smiled and drew back. “We’ll talk about it when I get back from Texas. Okay?”
She brightened. “Okay.”
He laughed and shook his head. “I wish I could take you with me. Listen, you watch where you go. Be aware of your surroundings. Rourke will be watching, but he can’t be everywhere.” His eyes pinned her. “I want you safe.”
“I will be,” she promised him. “You be careful, too,” she added. She bit her lower lip. “Airplanes are scary.”
“I’ve been riding around in airplanes half my life.” He laughed. “It’s safer than driving. Really.”
“Okay. Have a good trip.”
“I will.”
He kissed her again, hungrily, let her go and went out without looking back.
Merissa was still staring after him when her mother came back into the kitchen.
She put a comforting arm around her daughter. “He’s the one.”
“Yes,” Merissa said, hugging her back. “He’s the one.”
* * *
T ANK WAS DISCONCERTED by his powerful reaction to Merissa, and, especially, hers to him. She really was hungry for him; that was evident. He should probably take a step back before rushing in headfirst, but caution was the last thing on his mind.
Then he remembered Vanessa. She’d come to work for the brothers, babied them, petted them. Tank had gone overboard for her. And then they found out that she was a thief, a woman
The front door opened.
“I’m back,” Clara called.
“I’m in here,” Merissa called. She smiled at her mother. “Dalton’s in the bathroom,” she whispered.
“Ah.” Clara put the walnuts on the counter. “The car’s making funny noises,” she said sadly. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I do,” Dalton said from the doorway. He didn’t look disheveled at all. His hair was combed and he was smiling. “I’m sending one of my mechanics over tomorrow to have a look at it. But this time, he’ll come with Darby Hanes. So if anybody else shows up and claims to be sent by us, you call the ranch house first. Okay?”
“Okay. Dalton, you really shouldn’t,” Clara began worriedly. “I mean, you’ve done so much already...”
“We take care of family,” he told her. And he looked at Merissa in a way that made her cheeks go red.
Clara started to speak but didn’t.
Dalton just chuckled. “I’m going to be a pest,” he told her. “Sorry. But your daughter is like flowers to a bee. Can’t stay away,” he said, and his voice dropped an octave as he looked at her.
“I don’t mind,” Merissa said, her own voice full of soft meaning.
Dalton winked at her. He checked his watch. “I have to go,” he said. “I need to pack to get ready for the Texas trip.”
“You’re going to Texas?” Clara asked.
“Yes. I’m going to talk to Sheriff Carson and a couple of feds about my run-in with the drug cartel.”
“Not alone?” Clara continued, concerned.
Tank chuckled again. “Rourke’s got a buddy who’s going to cover me like tar paper,” he told her. “I’ll be fine.”
“In that case, I won’t worry.” She smiled. “Have a safe trip.” She lifted her head and groaned. “He’s still at it!”
They heard the tapping on the wood outside Clara’s bedroom window.
“The woodpecker.” Clara laughed. “I’d better go feed him before he breaks into the house.”
She took a package of walnut halves, opened it and walked toward the back of the house.
When they heard the back door slam, Tank pulled Merissa close and kissed her with a new tenderness. He drew back, smoothing his big hand over her blond hair.
“We’re going to be very good together,” he whispered.
She flushed. “Listen, I’m very... I mean I...I can’t...”
He hugged her tight. “I won’t ask you to. That’s a promise. I have something more permanent in mind.”
“Permanent?” she asked at his chest.
He smiled and drew back. “We’ll talk about it when I get back from Texas. Okay?”
She brightened. “Okay.”
He laughed and shook his head. “I wish I could take you with me. Listen, you watch where you go. Be aware of your surroundings. Rourke will be watching, but he can’t be everywhere.” His eyes pinned her. “I want you safe.”
“I will be,” she promised him. “You be careful, too,” she added. She bit her lower lip. “Airplanes are scary.”
“I’ve been riding around in airplanes half my life.” He laughed. “It’s safer than driving. Really.”
“Okay. Have a good trip.”
“I will.”
He kissed her again, hungrily, let her go and went out without looking back.
Merissa was still staring after him when her mother came back into the kitchen.
She put a comforting arm around her daughter. “He’s the one.”
“Yes,” Merissa said, hugging her back. “He’s the one.”
* * *
T ANK WAS DISCONCERTED by his powerful reaction to Merissa, and, especially, hers to him. She really was hungry for him; that was evident. He should probably take a step back before rushing in headfirst, but caution was the last thing on his mind.
Then he remembered Vanessa. She’d come to work for the brothers, babied them, petted them. Tank had gone overboard for her. And then they found out that she was a thief, a woman
Similar Books
