Goodnight Kisses Read online

  She fought a grin. “Maybe, but I think the color is wrong for your eyes.”

  “Really?”

  She bit her bottom lip. “Yeah, red is your color.”

  With a finger and thumb to his chin, he considered her suggestion then heaved his size thirteen boot outward and twisted his leg in a feminine fashion. “I don’t know. With that split, I’d have to get my legs waxed, and it hardly seems worth the effort.”

  A spew of giggles erupted from her. “Thank you, for that mental picture of you in drag.”

  “You’re welcome.” Her laughter was like sunshine. He could never get enough of it, and right now, the only thing better than making her laugh at his own expense was seeing her in that sexy peach dress he knew she wanted. “Are you going to try it on?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “This is a dream dress, McCrea. Something I would have to save months for.” One arm shrugged. “Besides, spending that much money for something I’ll only wear once seems like a waste.”

  “But it’s the prom.” He snatched her hand and with a light tug, jerked her towards the shop’s double doors. “It’s like your wedding dress. It’s special.”

  Instead of following along, she pulled her hand from his. “I’m late for work.”

  Her sudden withdrawal changed the air around them and the light in her eyes. “But what about the prom? The dress?”

  “I have one. It’s light blue with sequins down the front. I bought it last month at the second-hand store down the block.”

  He knew the shop and anything she bought there could never compare to the gown in the window. “If it’s the money, I’ll pay─.”

  “No, thanks,” she said, cutting him off.

  Her downcast eyes made him regret his offer. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”

  “You didn’t.” She twisted her lips and kicked her boot against the concrete. “The truth is, I have enough money in my savings account to buy the dress, but Romeo Baby needs─”

  “That horse is a burden you should rid yourself of. I’ll give you twenty-five thousand for him.”

  Her retort was slow, deferred by temptation, he was sure. “Twenty-five, huh?”

  “Yep. Say the word and I’ll pull out my checkbook.”

  Her answer was plain and simple. “But he’s more than a horse to me. He’s the future of Redemption.”

  Damn, Redemption. Couldn’t she see what she was giving up? “We could make it a partnership.”

  She raised an eyebrow in question. “A partnership? With you?”

  “I buy him, keep him while you’re gone and when you get back from college, we’ll start breeding.”

  “And what do you want in return for your investment?”

  A smart man would have spewed out a bullshit figure, and let it go at that. Something to cure her curiosity, but he couldn’t do that with Eleanor. She was too smart for bullshit. “Nothing.”

  She crammed a hand into the back pocket of her jeans and tilted her head to one side. “Then why would you do it?”

  “For the same reason I offered to buy you the dress.” He felt something inside him give way. Something his pride couldn’t hold back. “Because it would make you happy.”

  His words touched her. He could see it in the changing color of her eyes, the nervous flex of her creamy throat, and the inward twist of her knees. She was the perfect mix of vulnerability and innocence, and an enticement that ignited a fire deep inside him. “Peach is your color,” he lured.

  Her playfulness returned. “So is blue. No deal.” She pointed to the boutique door. “But I think you should definitely try the red one on.”

  He watched her firm ass bounce from side to side as she retreated down the street. “I will. If you help me wax my legs!” His shout caused a passing group of teenage girls to giggle. Pride intact, he adjusted the waist of his Wranglers and pushed his chest out before entering the shop.

  Eleanor got her expensive peach dress, delivered anonymously to her mailbox the next day with a red bow he tied himself. From a bush behind the fence, he watched for the Conner kid’s arrival and reminded himself that acne and braces were safe, even if raging hormones were on the loose. Sure enough, at seven o’clock on the dot, the little yellow Volkswagen jolted to a stop outside Rose’s house, backfired once, and produced a very nervous saxophone player. McCrea relaxed knowing her virginity was safe.

  “McCrea, did you hear what I said?” His granddad’s voice jolted him out of the memory.

  “Ah-no. Sorry.” He shifted in his seat. “I was thinking.”

  Hardin cleared his throat. “Redemption’s heyday was before my time, but I’ve heard the stories about how it was one hell of a horse ranch.”

  “Oh, it was,” Wade said. “Your granddad was about the best bronc rider in the state and one hell of a horseman. You may have trouble finding someone as good as he was.”

  It was true, Charlie Mackenna had been the best in the state, and he dominated the sport in the 1960’s until a broken back retired him. The old man was just as tough as Wade and one hundred percent cowboy. “Jess offered to pitch in help me with the horses when I get back.”

  It was only natural she would enlist Jess’ help. He had been one hell of a bronc buster before his accident, and a lesser man would have given up. But not Jess. Months of rehab and three surgeries later, his brother was still a lady’s man. McCrea couldn’t help the jealousy that tightened inside his stomach when he thought about Jess helping her with anything.

  “We’ll help too, in any way we can, money, people, connections. Anything at all,” Wade assured her. “And if your plans for rebuilding Redemption don’t work out, you come and see me. I have just the job for you.”

  “You would give me a job?”

  “Sure we would,” Hardin answered for him. “We would be crazy not to.”

  “Oh, well, thank you.”

  “And don’t worry about Rose. We’ll take good care of her while you’re gone.”

  “I would appreciate that. I worry about leaving her.” With no more said about dreams or degrees, she nervously glanced at McCrea. “Well, I better get going.”

  “Make sure you shut the door behind you,” he ordered.

  She saluted him with a “Yes, sir,” before shutting the door behind her.

  Wade waited until he heard the front door shut. “Eleanor’s a sweet girl.”

  “And pretty too,” Hardin threw in. “You should be nicer to her.”

  “She gives me a headache.” McCrea scooted to the edge of his seat. “Back to the land.”

  “Hell boy, you better not drag your feet with that one,” Wade laughed. “If I were younger, I’d steal her right out from under you.”

  McCrea’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

  “There’s no use in trying to hide it,” Hardin said. “We both saw the way you were gawkin’ at her.”

  Damn. He pushed his Stetson up high on his forehead, a little embarrassed he’d been caught. “So I was admiring her ass.”

  Wade leaned back in his chair. “You do know she’s head over heels in love with you, don’t you?”

  Christ, was he serious? “She’s a kid with a crush. She’ll get over it.”

  “But will you?” Hardin threw in.

  “There’s nothing to get over!”

  “You sure about that?” Wade pushed. “Why did you punch Willard?”

  “Because he slapped Eleanor on the ass and offered up a raw suggestion as to how she could deliver the next round of beers.” He dragged his hat off and slung it to the desk, irritated they were talking him into a corner. “But you two already knew that, didn’t you? What the hell is going on here?”

  “You tell us,” Wade said.

  How could he justify kickin’ Willard’s ass without coming across as being jealous or protective of Eleanor? The two of them would love that.

  “Willard has a big mouth, and he needed to know he was out of line.”

  “So you bro
ke his nose?” Hardin questioned with a smirk.

  “He threw the first punch.” He did feel a little guilty for breaking Willard’s nose. He was a decent guy, just rowdy when he was drunk.

  “Love provokes all sorts of emotions and jealousy is one of the strongest.”

  What the hell? Love? “Whoa! I was just looking out for her!” He raked a hand through his hair, then pointed to Wade. “You would have done the same thing.”

  Wade’s smile was wide. “Damn right, I would have. I once knocked out a guy’s front teeth for asking your grandma to dance.”

  “This is crazy!” he laughed. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. I thought we were talking about my inheritance.”

  “We are,” Hardin assured him.

  Wade came to his feet. “I’ll make you a deal.”

  “Oh, God.” He actually felt nauseous, and suddenly things were crystal clear. He needed an anchor. A wife. This entire conversation had been a set up, and he had walked right into it. “What kind of deal?”

  “I’ll give you the land if,” Wade paused, and McCrea dropped his head with the weight of a man headed to an execution. “I stop fighting and whoring around?”

  “You get married.”

  Son of a bitch! Being right, he brought a hand to his face for a hard scrub. “Christ, Granddad. Have you lost your mind?” “Maybe you should make it two years,” Hardin’s wit was dry. “We might get a grandson out of it.”

  “Find a wife and keep her for at least a year. And I’ll hand over the deed.” Wade held out his hand to seal the agreement. “What do you say? Do we have a deal?”

  It was the heart attack. It had to be. His granddad wasn’t thinking clearly. “I don’t want to get married,” he said, and watched Wade’s hand fall.

  “Okay, have it your way. You can wait until I die to get the land. Maybe by then you’ll be responsible enough to inherit it.”

  Damn you, Wade.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose and felt guilty for cursing a man he admired and loved. His granddad was such a positive influence in his life. He always wanted to be like him, but always fell short.

  That meant waiting wasn’t an option. He had to have the land while Wade was alive. He needed to show his granddad he was responsible and that he could be a success at something other than ranching. He needed to see the approval in the old man’s eyes. He needed Wade to see how hard he tried to be the man he wanted him to be. And if he had to get hitched to do it, then by-god he would. “Okay,” he sighed. “You got yourself a deal.”

  Wade grinned.

  “I guess I’d better find a wife,” he baited, knowing they had Eleanor in mind.

  Hardin leaned forward, and pointed outside. “Jesus, boy. The best candidate just walked right by you.”

  Wade turned to the window. “Something about her reminds me of Sophia.”

  “Yeah, she is a lot like mom,” Hardin agreed with a nostalgic smile.

  “Sophia always said Eleanor had a fire about her.” Wade smacked his palms together. “She’s just what you need right now!”

  “She’d be perfect for you,” Hardin said.

  If he wasn’t so pissed at being forced into marriage, he might have laughed at their pushy salesmanship. Look at the two of them, smiling their asses off. Jesus H. Christ, this was a mess! At least he would get the satisfaction of picking his own wife.

  “No. Not in a million years.”

  Hardin’s smile fell. “Why not? Eleanor is a good girl. She’s hardworking and smart, and my grandkids would be beautiful.”

  “Stop talking about grandkids,” he growled.

  Wade dug a finger into the desktop. “It’s time you settled down and made something of yourself. The time for talk is over. Rose’s days are numbered, just like mine are, and I intend on doing everything in my power to see that Eleanor has a place at the ranch for as long as she wants. I owe it to Rose and Charlie.”

  “So give her a goddamn job!” he burst out. “But don’t make me marry her!”

  “Lower your voice,” Wade commanded. “You know that’s not the only reason I want you to marry her.”

  The groggy hum of the old Chevy roared to life as Eleanor drove down the driveway.

  “If marriage is the only way I can have the land, then I get to choose the woman.” McCrea held out his hand, and Wade hesitated. “If I marry Eleanor Mackenna, it’ll be because I want to.”

  Both men stood strong in their terms.

  “Come on, Dad,” Hardin played mediator. “You can’t choose for him.”

  “Fine.” Wade accepted the handshake. “But choose wisely. I’ll not have the family named smeared by an ugly divorce. Nor will I have the land taken by some whore with dollar signs in her eyes. Make her sign a pre-nup.”

  “Yeah, yeah… I know what I’m doing.” He snatched his hat from the desk, slammed the door behind him, and sprang into a dead run towards the ranch truck parked in the driveway. He felt as though a heavy weight had been taken off his shoulders. All he had to do was find a wife, and the land would be his. “Piece of cake.”

  Chapter Three

  Goodnight Kisses

  Eleanor was sure the play in McCrea’s eyes and the sharpness of his tongue was because he thought she had a date tonight. Jess was right. He needed competition, and she was going to give him some.

  The flirty banter between them back at the Coldiron house left her flushed and excited. With her window down, she cranked up the radio, and bellowed out the upbeat tune with untalented enthusiasm.

  At the end of the gravel drive, she felt the truck lurch and sputter. “Damn, what now?” Two days ago, Old Blue belched up a gallon of water and gave up the ghost, leaving her stuck driving her grandma’s old rusted out Chevy. She guided the dead truck off the road, pushed the brake until it stopped, and shoved it into park.

  She pecked at the gas gauge and watched the orange hand fall to E. “Great. Now what am I going to do?” She stuffed her dress into her purse and open the door. “What else can go wrong?” she asked as she slammed it. It looked like she was walking the mile to her house.

  She kicked a rock and sent it flying across the road. “Ouch!” Worn in all the right places, her favorite pair of Ariat boots did little to protect her feet, but she didn’t care. At the risk of a broken toe, she aimed her frustration on a smaller rock and heard the unmistakable sound of the ranch diesel hauling ass down the road.

  The work truck slowed to almost a stop, and the passenger side window came down.

  “Need a ride?” he asked.

  Her quick stride never faltered. “After you practically bit my head off back there in front of Mr. C and Wade, and then tried to embarrass me with that snarky remark about Conner?” She shook her head. “No thank you. I’d rather walk.”

  “Don’t be stubborn.”

  He had no idea how stubborn she could be. The temperature today was close to a hundred. She hadn’t walked more than twenty feet, and she was already drenched in sweat. But she didn’t want to seem zealous. “Go away, McCrea.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be hateful.” He stopped the truck, and Eleanor knew that was as close as he was coming to an apology. “Now, will you please get in? It’s hotter than hell out here. Let me give you a ride home.”

  She held back a grin and gave in. “Can you take me to a gas station instead? Grandma forgot to put gas in it yesterday.” She climbed in and shut the door. “I need the truck tonight.”

  “Old Blue out of commission again?”

  “Yeah,” with a wave of her hand, she dismissed the problem. “Something about a hose.”

  “Sure.” He let off the brake and pushed the gas. “We wouldn’t want to disappoint Conner.”

  In seconds, they were speeding along the one lane road between his house and hers.

  “I told you, my date isn’t with Conner.” She turned the vent towards her face and leaned forward. The cool air hit her sweat-soaked skin, causing her to shiver. “God, that feels good.�
� Aware of his eyes on her, she was nervous, but determined not to let it show. The flick of her wrists sent the bottom of her thin t-shirt waving and him muttering a soft curse. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing.” His hand tightened on the wheel while the other scratched his jaw. “I was just thinking how much things have changed since I’ve been gone.”

  She bit her bottom lip to keep from grinning and twisted around to search the truck bed, giving him a better view of her breasts. “Do you have a gas can in the back?”

  A quick glance at her cleavage told her he’d noticed. “Yeah, I have one. I try to be prepared for anything.”

  “That’s good to know.” She slipped back into the seat and watched the fence posts pass as songs on the radio changed. “Oh, is that Eric Church?” She listened for the beat and watched them pass her house. “It is, and I love this song. The chorus reminds me of you.”

  He frowned. “Why?”

  “You drink too many beers on Friday nights. Don’t deny it. And,” she turned the volume up, pointed a finger at him and bobbed her head side to side with the beat, “how many times have I heard you tell the boys at the bar you won’t ever settle down?”

  He let off the gas and merged onto the blacktop road leading into town. Murphy’s Mini Mart was just a few minutes away, meaning she had to make the most of their time together. This was the first time she’d been alone with him since he came home from college. She had to make it count by showing him she was all grown up.

  Think Eleanor, think. McCrea was cocky and very confident in his ability to seduce a woman. Jesus, he was that. If he wanted a woman, he got her, and he didn’t play or chase. How flippin’ exciting was that? It made him dangerously irresistible. She purposefully lowered her voice to the sexy pitch she had practiced and called his name. “McCrea?”

  “Yeah,” he answered with a strained voice as he slowed for the sharp curve ahead.

  She arched her back and closed her eyes. “Is it hard to seduce someone?”

  The truck swerved off the road and down into the ditch.

  “Watch it!” She gripped the dash, hoping he could gain control before they plummeted to their deaths. The cliffs jutted downward in layers of three to the Sandusky Creek below. Locals were cautious of the curve and the potential hazard, but over the years, a few unfortunate souls had lost their lives. He corrected the truck back onto the pavement and slammed on the brakes. “What kind of question is that?”