Page 11 of One Wild Texas Night
“Is there a guy in your life?” he asked once they were seated at the table. He was suddenly aware he knew nothing about her except the family feud.
She looked startled, then amused as she shook her head. “No, there isn’t. I don’t go out often. I think I may intimidate some men. And I think some just don’t like me because I’m a rancher and run the place. That tends to make me a little set in my ways and bossy, maybe.”
He shook his head. “I’ve spent time with you now, and you weren’t either. You’re adapting to a huge change in your life,” he said. “And bossy? You’d be a lousy rancher if you weren’t. Someone has to be in charge.”
“I know, but some guys don’t want to take out a bossy woman who can run a ranch.”
He shrugged. “Wouldn’t bother me, I’ll bet. Go out with me next Saturday night and we can see how I deal with going out with a bossy woman,” he said, shocked again at himself and his reactions to her, even more shocked that he’d asked her out without giving any thought to the consequences of his invitation. And he knew he wanted her to accept. After lecturing himself to keep his distance from her, he was trying to get more entangled than ever.
He barely knew her, but he wanted an evening with her. As fast as that thought came, common sense said he shouldn’t want to spend one single evening with her. She was a Blake. The family feud was as strong as ever. She wasn’t the woman to get involved with. But he wasn’t listening to his own advice.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and then she laughed, a sound of mirth that made him smile and want his arms around her more than ever.
“You’re joking, of course. We’d set the town on edge, and our relatives would explode with everything from dismay to anger to rage. I don’t think there would be one happy person in my whole clan who would approve of us going out together. You might find yourself in the middle of a fight with my brothers. For that matter, I doubt if there is anyone in your family who would approve of us going out together. In fact, I know they wouldn’t, and I don’t even know them.” She leaned in toward him. “Tell the truth now—they wouldn’t approve, would they?”
He looked down into her big green eyes, looked at her rosebud mouth, remembered their kisses and forgot what she’d asked him. He wanted her.
“I’ve never met anyone like you,” he whispered. She blinked, and then her eyes widened. She drew a deep breath, straightened up and stared wide-eyed at him a moment before her gaze lowered to his mouth.
His heart thudded, and he wondered whether she was going to kiss him.
She shook her head as if coming out of sleep and stood, picking up her plate with her half-eaten sandwich. She stepped away from him, leaving more space between them. She stared intently at him. “I don’t know why the attraction, or whatever it is, happens between us,” she whispered as if to herself, but he heard her. He had finished his sandwich and a glass of water, and he stood to face her.
“I don’t know, either, but we might be really missing something if we let what we feel go by without acknowledging it and acting on it. My reaction to you is unique in my life. I’d wager my ranch that your reaction to me is unique in yours, too.”
The words were there between them, and she nodded. “That doesn’t make it good.”
“I’m sure it’s something that shouldn’t be ignored,” he said with amusement in his voice, and she smiled in return as she shook her head.
“Let’s not rush into something. I suggest you rethink that invitation to go out Saturday night. Your brother and my sister married and vanished. They haven’t been home since they married because my sister knows my dad and brothers. My brothers’ feelings about that feud are really strong. You take me out, and you’re a marked man. I’m not about to do something that would get you hurt badly.”
“I can’t believe that would happen, and I’m not scared of your brothers,” he replied. “But I don’t want to cause you trouble with your family, so at this point in our lives, we can resist a night out together.” He was disappointed, yet he had a feeling she was right. “There’s no need to stir up a hornets’ nest of trouble with families. We don’t have any strong emotional ties, and we can still walk away from each other without it hurting. We better leave well enough alone.”
“That’s common sense, and I agree.”
“I’m not sure I agree with myself,” he said, glancing at her mesmerizing green eyes and wanting to kiss her right now.
“Hang on to your decision, Jake. We don’t need to go looking for trouble.”
“Might be the most fun ever,” he said, lowering his voice and drawling his words. She drew another deep breath and gave a shake of her head.
“Jake, we better go and stick to helping out and forget any future together unless it’s just waving at each other across the fence.” She rinsed her dish and placed it in the dishwasher.
“You’re right. Meet you on the porch shortly.”
She went outside and sat in one of the rockers to wait. When he stepped out to join her, she came to her feet.
“C’mon. I’ve called the volunteer center, and they need us. And yes, they’ll be glad to have your help.”
“I’m willing to do what I can,” she said.
“Good,” he said, looking up at the sky. “Because we never got the rain they predicted, and now they don’t think we will.”
* * *
When he turned on the highway and headed toward the fire, she groaned. “It looks as if all of this part of Texas is on fire,” she said, looking across the horizon. “This fire will get a lot of homes, barns and outbuildings. I just hope ranchers got their livestock and themselves out,” she said, stunned by the smoke that totally hid every bit of sky and the dancing flames in the distance that spread as far along the horizon as she could see.
“They’re going to need all the help they can get,” he said.
