Operation Cowboy Daddy Read online

  “Have you heard that one of the skeletons has been identified?” he asked.

  “No,” she replied, her eyes widening. “I haven’t been in town to hear any of the newest local gossip.”

  Tony told her about Tim Hankins, the murdered runaway boy who nobody on the ranch knew anything about. When he was finished, he looked down at Joey and once again a wealth of protectiveness rose up inside him.

  “If I have any part in raising him, I’ll make sure he never has a reason to run away from home,” he said.

  “You were a runaway when you came to the ranch to work?” she asked, although he figured she already knew the answer to the question.

  “Yeah, I had a pretty crummy family life and so when I was almost fifteen I hit the streets, and now it’s probably time for me to get home.” That was as much as he intended to share and now he felt the need to escape from her and any more questions she might have.

  Her gaze was too soft and she was far too easy to talk to. Everything about her drew him in. He wanted to know what she was thinking, what she was feeling, and more than anything he wanted to know what her full lips would taste like beneath his own.

  He got up from the sofa and she did the same. Together they walked to the front door. When he turned to tell her goodbye, she stood far too close to him and her lips were parted in a way that shot rational thought right out of his head.

  Without giving her any advance warning, he threw an arm around her waist, pulled her tightly against him and then covered her mouth with his.

  She released a small gasp, but she didn’t step back from him and, rather than telling him no, she opened her lips to him and responded.

  Fire danced through his veins. Her lips were soft and warm and they only increased Tony’s appetite for more. Her breasts pushed against his chest and the heady scent of her surrounded him. The kiss went on for several long moments and then she broke it and stepped back from him.

  The flames of his own desire shot out of her eyes, letting him know that she’d been as moved by the kiss as he had. “That wasn’t really a good idea,” she said, her voice slightly husky.

  He grinned at her. “It wasn’t really a bad idea.” He reached out and tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, his fingers noting the silky softness.

  “Tony, it wouldn’t be wise for us to indulge in any kind of a relationship other than what we have right now.” She took a step back from him.

  “Do we always have to be wise?” he countered.

  “I try to be,” she replied. Joey cried out from behind them. “I need to get him. Good night, Tony.”

  The dismissal was evident in the firmness of her tone. He murmured a good-night and then headed for his truck. Moments later his headlights slashed through the darkness of the night as he drove toward the Holiday ranch.

  On the surface, he and Mary seemed perfect for each other. Neither of them wanted marriage, and if he was to judge by her response to his kiss, then she was as attracted to him as he was to her.

  He didn’t see how having an intimate relationship with her would in any way screw up things between them. They were both adults and seemed to be on the same page. Even thinking about making love to Mary had him half-aroused.

  He rolled down his window to allow in the brisk night air to cool him down. He’d always believed that he found his peace sitting outside his bunk room or in the recreational area in the back of the cowboy motel.

  But these nights shared in Mary and Halena’s company had filled him with a new kind of peace, one he’d never felt before. It was because her home was filled with love.

  A chill walked up his spine as he thought of the break-in that had occurred the night before. She’d made light of it, but the whole thing concerned him.

  Had it really been an attempted robbery? What else could it have been? Would the man come back to try again? Certainly there was plenty of merchandise inside the house that could be sold in places where it could never be tracked. Tony could only hope that a shotgun-wielding Halena had really scared the hell out of the man and he’d never return.

  He rolled up his window and fought against a sense of deep foreboding. He had no idea where it came from or what it meant. He just knew that his senses were whispering to him that something bad was going to happen.

  He’d felt this same way right before the cowboys had found Cass Holiday’s broken body on the lawn between the big house and the cowboy motel after the tornado.

  The only thing the men could figure out was that she had been on her way to warn them about the impending storm, when it suddenly hit and sent a large tree branch at her that struck her in the head.

  She’d died trying to protect them.

  Had Tony brought danger to Mary’s house? He couldn’t imagine how her watching Joey could put her at risk. No, it had to have been a simple attempted robbery. Nothing else made any sense, but he also couldn’t fathom why he now felt that some sort of darkness was growing near, a darkness that would change them all forever.

  * * *

  “I’m heading out,” Halena announced the following Wednesday night.

  Mary and Tony sat side by side on the sofa and Mary looked at her grandmother in surprise. “Heading out? Where are you going?”

  “You’re leaving us on movie night?” Tony asked incredulously.

  “Mabel just called and invited me to her home for a night of movies. She’s been so lonely since her husband died that I just couldn’t tell her no,” Halena replied. “The poor thing just needs a little company.”

  “That’s nice,” Tony said.

  “Her husband has been dead for four years and last time I saw her she was in great spirits,” Mary said drily. “Tell the truth, you two are going to the casino.”

  “How do you know that?” Halena asked.

  Mary laughed. “Grandmother, you have on your lucky casino blouse.” It was the ugliest blouse Mary had ever seen. The vivid blue had faded over the years and the huge sequined parrot on the front appeared to be smirking.

  “Okay, we might stop into the casino for a few minutes,” Halena confessed.

  “Last time you were stopping in for a few minutes you didn’t get home until after three in the morning.”

  “And I suggest you don’t wait up for me tonight,” Halena retorted. “I think it’s going to be a lucky night.” She then moved to the front door. “And Mabel just pulled into the driveway.”

  “Good luck,” Tony yelled as she flew out the door. He turned to Mary and grinned. “That was her lucky blouse?”

  “Awful, right? It was given to her by one of her friends and the first time she wore it she went to the casino and won a little jackpot, so now it’s her lucky blouse.”

  “Does she gamble a lot?”

  “Not really. She seems to go in spurts. She’ll stay away for a long time and then go two or three times a week for a month or so.” She bent down and picked up Joey, who had awakened from his short nap and was now ready to interact. She placed him in her lap so he faced Tony and the little boy pumped his legs and arms with delight.

  “Hi, Joey,” Tony said. “Did you have a nice sleep?”

  Joey responded with a string of coos and grins. Mary’s heart swelled. Over the last couple of days it had been wonderful to see the growing relationship between Tony and the baby.

  And over the last few days it had been impossible to ignore the simmer of desire that was like another person in the room whenever she and Tony were together.

  The kiss they’d shared had haunted her. It had been years since she’d had a man’s warm lips against her own and tasted the sweet hot fire of desire. Tony Nakni definitely knew how to kiss.

  She wanted him to kiss her again, and that was definitely foolish. A kiss was a promise of something more to come and she could never deliver on th
at particular promise.

  Still, she wanted Tony and that want filled her with both a wild exhilaration and a bitterness that she’d thought she’d left behind her.

  “Are you all ready for the craft fair?” he asked.

  “As ready as we can be. I’ve rented a truck to take everything to the fairgrounds around dawn on Friday morning and we’ll be open for business by nine thirty. You’re coming on Saturday?”

  “Actually, I talked to Adam and got my work schedule shifted around so I could be there all day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.” He smiled at her. “I figured maybe you could use a carnival barker and a babysitter while you and Halena work.”

  “Thank you. That would be terrific and we could definitely use your help with Joey. Now, how about I make us some after-dinner coffee?”

  “Sounds good.”

  She stood and plopped Joey into his lap and then went into the kitchen. As she stood at the counter and waited for the coffee to brew, the sound of Tony talking and Joey’s gurgling responses filled her heart.

  She hadn’t wanted to love the little boy, but it was impossible not to. She also hadn’t wanted to care about Tony, but he was also weaving a path into her heart that would make it difficult to forget him when he was gone.

  And eventually he would be gone. Even though Mick Blake had yet to find out anything about Amy’s whereabouts, this current arrangement wouldn’t last forever, nor should it. Sooner or later Tony would have to figure out what his future with Joey was going to look like.

  With coffee cups in each hand, she returned to the living room and set the cups on the coffee table. Tony continued to hold Joey as they drank their coffee and talked about the craft fair.

  “We travel to Dallas in the spring for a big craft fair there and then do this one in the fall,” she explained.

  “And doing those two fairs keeps you financially solid for the year?” he asked and then grimaced. “Not that it’s any of my business.”

  “No, it’s okay, and yes, between the two craft shows and my internet business, we do just fine.” She looked at him curiously. “Have you ever thought about leaving the Holiday ranch and striking out on your own? Maybe working your own ranch?”

  “Occasionally, the thought has crossed my mind, but I’m satisfied where I’m at. I enjoy the company of the other men and I don’t have the burden of responsibility that comes with owning a place. We all just hope Cassie doesn’t decide to sell the place.”

  “You think that might be possible?”

  “Definitely. She’s a New Yorker at heart and I know Raymond Humes has approached her a couple of times about buying the ranch.”

  “Raymond Humes and his men are a disgrace to this town,” she replied.

  He looked at her in surprise. “They’ve given you problems?”

  “They say terrible things just beneath their breaths whenever I see them in town. They’re a bunch of racist, unintelligent pigs.” She flushed. “Sorry, just thinking about them gets me all riled up.”

  “All of us on the Holiday ranch feel the same way about them,” he replied. “They’ve set fires on our property, taken down fences, and we even believe they’ve stolen cattle, but we can never find the evidence for Dillon to charge them with anything.”

  They continued to talk until nine, when Joey started fussing for his fill-up bottle before his bedtime. Mary fixed the bottle and then Tony fed Joey.

  When Joey was finished with the bottle, Mary took him from Tony. “I’m just going to change him and then put him down for the night. I’ll be right back.”

  She left the room and went into her bedroom to change Joey’s diaper and put him in a pair of pajamas. When she was finished, she carried him into the spare room, where his playpen awaited him.

  She placed him in the center of the pen and leaned down to stroke her finger down his baby cheek. “It’s time to say good-night, little man,” she said softly. “I hope your dreams are filled with sunshine and happiness.”

  When she straightened and turned around, Tony stood in the doorway and his dark eyes were lit with a fierce hunger that weakened her knees and stole her breath.

  Heaven help her but she wanted him. She walked to where he stood and without saying a word he took her into his arms and she didn’t protest.

  As they kissed, she steered him down the hallway and into her bedroom. She was aware that this was wrong on a hundred different levels.

  She knew she had to stay in complete control if this was going to happen. If she didn’t maintain control, then things would spiral into an ugly mess.

  She also knew no matter what she would regret it. But none of these thoughts could override her desperate desire for him.

  “Mary, Mary,” he murmured into her ear when the kiss ended. “I’m crazy with wanting you.” His warm breath caused a shiver of pleasure to shoot up her spine.

  His mouth found hers again in a hot and hungry kiss that nearly stole all of her breath away. He held her tightly enough against his body that she could feel he was already fully aroused.

  As he kissed her, they moved closer to the bed. Although her mind was hazy with need, it wasn’t so hazy that she didn’t know what she needed to do in order to keep her most intimate secrets safe.

  He moved his hands up and down her back and it was only when he began to stroke her bare skin beneath her T-shirt that she dropped to her knees in front of him.

  “Mary.” He groaned as she nimbly unfastened his belt and then his jeans. She pulled both his jeans and his boxers down to his knees and then stroked his hardness.

  It would be easy to lose herself in the sensual haze that threatened to overtake her, but she couldn’t. She had to remain completely in control.

  When she took him into her mouth, he tangled his hands into her hair and moaned with pleasure. The fire inside her only burned hotter.

  She moved her lips up and down the velvet length of him and he grew harder with each of her movements. His harsh panting, coupled with her own quickened breathing, filled the room.

  He grabbed her by the shoulders. “Mary, stop. I want to be inside you.”

  She stared up at him. “And I want the same thing.” She got to her feet and then pulled off her underpants from beneath the skirt she wore and then lay back on the bed with the skirt bunched around her waist. “Quickly, Tony. I’m ready for you now.”

  He kicked off his boots and stepped out of his jeans and boxers. With his eyes half-glazed he crawled onto the bed between her opened thighs. He slid into her and at the same time took her lips with a ravaging hunger.

  When the kiss ended, he stared intently into her eyes and began to stroke in and out of her. Mary reached up and pulled the tie that contained his hair at the nape of his neck.

  Silky strands spilled around him, making him appear wild and beautiful as he took possession of her.

  Sensations of pleasure raced through her as he moved faster and faster against her...into her. Her hands moved back and forth across his muscled back, loving the feel of his warm skin.

  This was what she’d wanted, what she’d needed. She’d wanted his body against hers. She’d wanted his hot and hungry kisses. She felt so beautiful when he gazed at her.

  He suddenly stiffened and moaned as he reached his climax. He leaned down and captured her lips once again, this time in a soft kiss that moved her more than anything.

  He braced himself on his elbows and gazed down at her, a small frown line appearing across his forehead. “You didn’t...”

  “No, but it’s okay.”

  He released a ragged breath. “This all happened so quickly. We didn’t even use protection.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about. I—I can’t have children.” She wanted up and away from him now. She’d been a fool to allow this...to encourage it in any way.

&
nbsp; She gave his chest a shove. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

  He rolled off her and she jumped up and hurried into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door behind her.

  “Stupid woman,” she whispered to her reflection in the mirror. By making love with Tony, she’d probably set up the expectation in him that this was the beginning of something. But she knew it was both the beginning and the end. All she had to do was make sure before he left here tonight that he understood that.

  When she left the bathroom, Tony was no longer in the bedroom. She pulled her panties back on and left the room. She found him seated on the sofa and the warm smile he gave her nearly stole her breath away. Yes, he would definitely expect things now that she couldn’t give to him.

  She sank down next to him and he immediately took her hand in his. She should jerk it away. She should tell him to take Joey and get out of her house, get out of her life. But she didn’t. She allowed the warmth of his hand to surround hers, knowing that after tonight everything would change.

  “Mary, you said you can’t have children. What happened?” His somber expression and soft gaze invited her to share.

  “When I was twenty-four, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I had to have a complete hysterectomy to save my life.” Thankfully, her voice didn’t betray any of the tumultuous emotions that filled her when she thought of that terrible time in her life.

  His hand tightened around hers. “I’m so sorry.”

  She shrugged and pulled her hand from his. “It was eight years ago and it feels like it happened in another life.” She paused a moment and then continued, “Tony, about what just happened—”

  “Next time we go slow,” he interrupted, and his eyes once again filled with a hunger and a sweet promise. “Next time we take our time and I promise that you’ll leave the bed completely fulfilled.”

  “Tony, there won’t be a next time,” Mary said and stood. “We just made a mistake and I’m not willing to make another one.”