A Moment To Love (12 page)

She glanced back and forth between Cord and the photograph. “Definitely a family resemblance.”

Cord didn’t respond. He sat across the room from her, looking stiff and uncomfortable. Their gazes connected and held longer than necessary. Her heart thump-thumped harder, faster. Her mouth grew dry. She continued to stare at him as the tip of her tongue swiped over her lips.

“You need more ice for your hand.” Cord jumped to his feet. “They gave me a few of those plastic cooling packs so that you would always have an icy one. I’ll go get it.”

He practically tripped over his own feet making a hasty exit. Had he felt it, too? That magnetic pull that had drawn them together out in the desert was still there—no matter how much she wanted to deny it. But she had no intention of acting on it—not a chance. No matter how tempting the idea.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

H
aving a woman—not just any woman, but one he’d passionately kissed—staying in his house was enough to drive Cord to distraction. He wasted the entire afternoon paying two measly bills. With the likelihood of transposing the numbers, he made a habit of taking his time and triple-checking his work. The rest of the time, he’d been tiptoeing down the hall to check on Lexi. He couldn’t believe he’d been reduced to creeping around his own house. Once he’d even caught himself gazing at her longer than necessary to ascertain she was breathing comfortably.

Even now, he envisioned a cozy dinner and lighthearted banter. Later, they’d share a bit of coffee out on the porch. He’d follow that up with a kiss…or two. He sighed. Of course, none of that was going to happen. She was here with him because she had to be, not because she wanted to be. She’d made that all too clear when she’d rejected his kiss.

He stood next to the center island in the kitchen and glanced up at the clock on the wall for the third time in the past five minutes. Six o’clock straight up. Time to eat.

He prepared a couple of steaks to add to the foil-wrapped potatoes already on the grill. When he came back inside, there was still no sign of Lexi. Thinking that she might want more than meat and potatoes, he tossed together a salad.

He should probably go wake her. Then again, maybe she’d be better off sleeping. He pulled out her care instructions and in the silence began deciphering the words one at a time. He was a slow reader, but with determination, he could make it through to the end.

“Would that happen to be the instructions from the doctor?” Lexi came up behind him.

Too late to hide the paper. “Ah, yes. Here you go.”

“That’s okay. Can you just read the part about what symptoms to watch for?”

“Is something wrong?” He was poised to drop everything to drive her to the hospital.

“Um…no. I’m just being cautious is all.”

He looked at her as she made her way to the sink. His gaze settled on the gentle sway of her hips. He swallowed hard before forcing his attention back to the care instructions. He hadn’t gotten to the symptoms section. His chest tightened as the letters formed a jumbled mess. His throat clogged. There was no way he’d read it out loud to her. He’d sound like…like a complete and utter jerk, or worse. He might have opened up a bit to her while they were at Haggerty, but he was not sharing this part of his life. Absolutely not.

“You can read it.” He pushed the paper toward her as she lifted a glass of water to her lips.

Before she could even take a sip, she lowered the glass. “If you don’t want me here, I’ll leave.”

He shook his head. “It’s not that. In fact, it’s the opposite. It…it’s nice to have some company.”

The corners of her mouth lifted, and she stepped up to him. “Really?” Her voice purred with delight. “Well, thanks for having me. Sorry I wasn’t so agreeable earlier. I wasn’t feeling very well.”

“But you’re feeling better now?”

“Much better. That nap was just what I needed.”

His needs ran in a completely different direction. His gaze dipped to her lips. They were still damp from the cold water. He should turn away and keep busy, but his body seemed to have a will of its own as he leaned down and brushed his mouth over hers. Sweet and delectable, just like he remembered. He also remembered that he was doing the exact thing he’d told himself not to do. She was his opposition. But more than that, she was way out of his league.

However, she didn’t reject his advance. In fact, she didn’t say one thing about his moment of spontaneity. That was a good thing. Wasn’t it? Or was she just too startled to speak?

He pulled away. “I have to get the steaks off the grill.”

He hustled out the back door. He should tell her the truth—he couldn’t read. At least, not like others. Then she’d see him clearly. At last this crazy attraction thing would stop. But his male ego refused to be lessened in her eyes. For some reason, her opinion meant a lot to him. If he could just hide his deficiencies for a little longer, she’d be gone.

Just for once it was nice having someone around who hadn’t known him all of his life. She didn’t know about the merciless teasing because he couldn’t read as fast as the other kids. She didn’t know how he still struggled. Instead, Lexi saw him as a man—a landowner—someone with whom to do business. And he liked it. He really liked it. Most of all, he really liked her and her spunk. He didn’t want any of that to change.

He’d just returned from the grill with a platter holding two medium T-bones and the potatoes when he glanced up in time to catch Lexi in mid-stretch. The curves of her body strained against her turquoise top while a sliver of her bare stomach peeked out from beneath the hem of her shirt. He practically dropped their dinner right there on the floor. He swallowed hard as he continued to stare.

Her amused gaze caught his eye, and he turned away. “I didn’t know what you like to eat, so I grilled up a couple of steaks. If that’s okay with you, we can eat just as soon as I set the table and pour us some iced tea.”

“Sounds good. Is it really after six? I didn’t mean to sleep all afternoon.”

The memory of her stretched out on the bed did nothing to help him regain his composure. His appetite for steak vanished. He craved something else—someone with rumpled hair and bare feet. His gaze strayed to Lexi. Wasn’t it just like a man to hunger for a woman he could never possess? He inwardly groaned.

With the table set and the drinks poured, he grabbed a couple of acetaminophen caplets and handed them to her. “Here. It’s past time for you to take these.”

She accepted the pills and chased them down with some tap water. “Since I’m feeling better, how about after dinner you give me a ride back to the motel?”

He knew her suggestion would be best for his sanity, but he’d given his word to watch over her tonight, and that’s exactly what he intended to do. “You’re stuck with me for twenty-four hours. I’ll give you a ride back to the Doc’s tomorrow for your follow-up appointment. If he okays it, you can go back to the motel then, but not before. Now, let’s eat.”

“And that’s your final word?”

“It is.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

After she washed up, she joined him at the table. They filled up their plates with steak and the salad he’d tossed with red wine vinaigrette.

They quietly ate until the silence started to bother him. “Did you tell your father about your encounter with the scorpion?”

“No. I didn’t want to worry him. He’s already more stressed than he needs to be.”

This was where Cord was supposed to interject something to keep the conversation going. But what? He had zero experience playing host or striking up an engaging conversation.

He settled for the first thought that came to his mind. “Your steak…is it cooked the way you like? I could put it back on the grill.”

She glanced down at her plate as though she’d momentarily forgotten about the food. “It’s great. Thank you for making it. I feel bad for making you go out of your way.”

He shrugged. “I don’t get many guests. I’d forgotten how nice it is to share a meal with someone.”

Now why in the world had he gone and said that? But then Lexi smiled at him. A genuine smile. One of those that lit up her whole face and warmed a spot in his chest.

“This is so much better than eating alone at my desk while poring over reports.” She took a bite of steak.

He couldn’t imagine someone so young and beautiful spending all of her time working. He’d have thought her social calendar would be booked. “Maybe you should cut back on your hours at the office. I’m sure there has to be a lot to do in New York City.” Not that he’d know. He’d never ventured beyond the New Mexico border. Everything he needed was right here. “What sort of things do you like to do?”

“You mean, aside from work?” She sat back as though giving his question serious consideration. “I like to read cozy mysteries. I started a really good one months ago, but I haven’t had time to get back to it.”

“You know what they say about all work and no play…”

“I do. But I have priorities.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t take a moment to enjoy yourself.” He couldn’t believe what he was saying. Why should he care how she chose to spend her time? It was absolutely none of his business.

“Maybe you could show me more of your ranch. I really enjoyed seeing Haggerty. And I’d really enjoy riding one of your horses.”

He bit back an eager invitation. This was so unlike him. Even with his ex, he hadn’t been interested in her so quickly. Susan had been the one to initiate things. And look where that had gotten him. Still, he couldn’t be rude. His mother had raised him better than that. And Lexi deserved only the best.

“If there’s time before you leave, we could take a ride to a remote spot that you might enjoy.”

“Great. I’m looking forward to it.”

He glanced up, surprised by her eagerness. Maybe they didn’t have to be adversaries. Maybe they could agree to disagree about what was best for the land and be friendly with each other. He didn’t have many friends, aside from the ranch hands. Something told him Lexi would be a good friend.

She added some butter to her potato. “Do you have any relatives in Whistle Stop?”

He shook his head. “Not anymore.”

She looked as though she were about to ask something else, but instead she mashed the butter into the potato before taking a bite.

Eager to make the most of the opportunity to connect with her, he said, “The land and the animals keep me grounded.”

“What about friends?” She laid down her fork and stared at him.

“Obviously, you must have heard some of the gossip about me that’s going around town.” She nodded, and he continued, “Then there’s nothing more for me to add.”

Her concerned gaze met his. “Sure there is. If you know what they’re saying, why don’t you stop it?”

“I can’t fight the truth.” So much for his fantasy about being a “real man” in Lexi’s eyes.

“You call that bunch of rehashed garbage the truth? I haven’t known you very long, but I know you aren’t like the man they described to me in town. And I told Mrs. Sanchez that—”

“You did what?” He didn’t need anyone sticking up for him.

“I told her that you’ve been nothing but kind and considerate.”

He had? That’s really how she saw him? The funny feeling in his chest left him feeling off-kilter. What was he supposed to say now?

“Don’t look so shocked. You can be quite the gentleman when you set your mind to it.”

No one had ever said such kind things to him. Unable to look her in the eyes, he gazed down at his plate. “You shouldn’t have wasted your time. They already have their minds made up about me.”

“Mrs. Sanchez seemed quite interested in my opinion of you. Perhaps you should give them a second chance, and maybe they’ll give you one, too.”

Uncomfortable with this line of conversation, he decided to turn it around. “You made quite an impression on Mr. Forbes. He thinks your resort would be good for the local economy. He insisted I learn more about your plans. So now it’s your turn. Tell me more about this resort you’re all gung ho to build.”

“I have some information in my room that you’re welcome to read.” Her chair scraped over the tile floor.

He held out his hand to stop her from getting up. “I don’t want to read some sales pitch. I just want you to be bluntly honest with me. What kind of resort would you build?”

“A Wild West-themed one.”

Hence, the need for the ghost town. “Why in the world would you build a vacation destination in the middle of nowhere?”

“That’s one of the land’s many charms. It’ll provide privacy to the resort’s guests.”

“Why would they need privacy?” A dull ache in his gut told him he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“I suppose at this point it won’t hurt to tell you that this will be an exclusive resort. The clientele will be high-profile people who want a vacation without having to worry about the paparazzi snapping pictures for those grocery store tabloids.”

“And the ghost town?”

“We’ll provide it as an attraction for the guests to explore.”

Speechless, he stared at her. She wanted to take the land his family had eked out a living on and turn it into some sort of amusement for the rich and famous. His gut twisted.

He stood and grabbed his half-empty plate. He strode to the sink and deposited it. What had happened to his plans for some fun banter and kissing? His jaw tightened. This wasn’t anywhere close to the ending he’d dreamed up.

“Hey, where are you going?” she called to him.

“I have to clean up the kitchen.”

“You didn’t finish eating. And you didn’t share your thoughts about the resort.”

He kept his back to her. His hands clenched the edge of the counter. “That’s not a good idea. I don’t think you want to hear what I think.”

“Sure I do.”

He shook his head. “Go rest while I clean up.”

He needed the time alone to wrap his head around what she’d told him. Even though she appeared to be a desirable lady with lots of love for her father, Cord couldn’t get past his horror of her wanting to do something so trivial with the land—his land. When he was out there on the range, he could be comfortable with himself. He wasn’t constantly reminded of his shortcomings.