A Tender Touch: A Donnelley Brother's Novel (Logan Point Book 4) (12 page)

Luke raised a brow. “Is she?”

I feigned offence. “Did you not taste my enchiladas?”

Luke chuckled. “I thought maybe you were a one dish kind of woman - you’ve been holding out on me.”

Kami murmured under her breath. “She definitely has - in more ways than one.”

My eyes widened as I barked. “Kamilla!”

She raised her hands. “What?”

The table burst into laughter and I shook my head in relief as I slouched in my chair. I’d definitely over eaten.

My mom stood from the table to begin gathering the dishes and Luke protested. “I’ve got them Allison.” He assured. “Please don’t.”

She shook her head determinedly. “It was a lovely dinner, Luke, but the night is beautiful and warm - how about you all go for a walk and enjoy it.”

“Mom, I can help with those.”

She glared at me with challenge in her blue eyes and I stiffened. “Don’t argue with me, Ember.”

“O-kay.” I nodded. “You’re doing the dishes.”

She nodded, back to her pleasant, smiling self. “And you’re going for a walk. Out. Out.”

The four of us stood from the table as Kyle stretched. “I could definitely use a walk.”

Kami shook her head. “We have to get home - for that, um, thing.”

“What thing?” Kyle asked, clearly confused.

Kami leaned in to hiss. “You’re ruining the wooing again.”

“Oh.” He nodded “Yeah, we’ve gotta get going.”

I rolled my eyes. “You all couldn’t be more obvious - or annoying.”

Luke grinned. “I’m fine with it.”

I huffed. “Of course you are.”

My mom pointed to the door. “Out now.” She snapped her fingers. “Thirty seconds and whoever is still standing in this house is doing the dishes - by hand.”

Her threat of no dishwasher had a fire blazing under our asses, and before I knew it, we were all standing on the front porch of Luke’s house. As the door closed behind us, my mother’s laughter rang with joy.

“Well, we’re off to do that thing.” Kyle informed as Kami smiled proudly beside him.

“Later.” Luke chuckled.

I fought my blush. “You suck at Cupid Kami!”

She waved as Kyle opened the door of the truck, “That’s okay, I’m still taking lessons.”

“What?” I grumbled and Luke shrugged.

“I’ve no idea what she’s talking about.” Luke assured before stating. “I can’t believe your mom kicked me out of my own house.”

I laughed. “You’re not the only one. I think I might actually be more shocked than you.”

His eyes glimmered as he looked down into my face. “Well, you still feeling a walk?”

“I don’t think we have a choice.”

“Naw,” he glanced back at the door and shook his head. “I don’t think we have one either.”

Before I knew what was happening, Luke had taken my hand in his, weaving his fingers through mine. For a moment, I considered pulling away, but then I didn’t.

Friends could hold hands, right?

Chapter 11

“You’re off to meet Luke for a ride once I leave, aren’t you?” My mom questioned as she pulled her suitcase from where she’d been storing it beneath my bed. While she’d been staying with me at the Ranch, she’d shared my bed. Although I loved my mother, I was eager to sleep the night alone.

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“Don’t forget to wear sunscreen.”

“There’s only one person on this Ranch who needs that lecture, and it isn’t me.” I grinned, remembering Kami’s horrible recounting of Hadley’s sunburn. “I always wear sunscreen, mom.”

She nodded. “I know.” She leaned in to kiss my cheek as she paused at the door of my bedroom in the cabin. “I’m going to miss you, my girl. Call me often.”

“I’ll be home in September.” I assured. “Less than too months and I’ll be back.”

She nodded. “Yes, well, I’m sort of enjoying having the house to myself.” She smiled at my stunned expression. “But I love you.”

I watched my mom carry her suitcase down the hall, before I realized what she said and I followed. “Are you saying you want me to move out?”

She shook her head. “No. I could have you live with me forever, Ember.” She paused as I slowed my racing heart. “But even though I don’t want you to move, I’m going kick you out.” My heart started racing unsteadily again. “It’s time you live your life and you can’t do that living with your mom.”

“Mom?”

She shook her head, smiling. “I love you, my girl. But I’m serious.”

“But, you can’t mean...”

“You have just under two months to figure out what you’re going to do and where you’re going to go.”

She couldn’t be serious. “I think you need to consider what you’re saying.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying.” She announced matter of fact and I tried to quell the sting of the lash of her words. “You should want to go out and live your life, Ember. I want you to. I want you to make your own decisions - for you. You’re not going to do that if you’re living at home with me.”

“I want to be at home with you.”

She shook her head. “Too bad. You have time to figure out what you’re going to do now, Ember. Use that time wisely. Consider yourself and only yourself - what do you want from life?”

“I don’t know.” I snapped, hating the swirl of emotions I felt pulsing through my mind and body. I felt like an unstable ruin. Any moment from now and the bomb that was me was going to detonate.

My mom leaned in to kiss me once again. “Then figure it out, my girl. You’re smart. You’ll be fine.” She placed her hand against my cheek lovingly, and then she moved to the door. “I’ll call you when I arrive home safe.”

I nodded. “Kay.”

“I love you, Ember, and I’m going to miss you.” She promised.

“I love you too, mom.” I nodded. “I’ll miss you - too.”

She smiled. “You need this - and I do too.”

And then my mom was gone.

***

I rode behind Luke through the trees to a place I had never been before. I’d been riding nearly every day since coming to the Ranch, but I had never come this way. For almost an hour we climbed through the mountainous maze of trees and stone until we were standing on a high ledge.

The rays of the setting sun were dancing over the land and I felt, from our high point, as though we were standing in the warm liquid gold. Looking down over the rocky swell of the earth, I saw a surging river pulsing below. The clear crystal of the water sparkled in the sun, like a ribbon of rose gold.

“Wow.” I breathed, smiling up at Luke from where he sat on his horse. “This is amazing.”

He admitted. “I often come here to think. It’s my favorite spot.”

“You do?”

He nodded, looking down at me. “Lately, I come out here to think about you.”

“Me?” I questioned, unable to mask the surprise sounding in my tone. “What about me? When?”

“Usually, early in the morning.”

“Oh.” I glanced out over the pulsing river below once again. I didn’t actually know if I wanted to know, but I couldn’t refrain from asking. “What do you think about?”

He didn’t answer my question. Instead, he announced on a trembling sigh. “This is a safe place, Ember. I wanted to share this place with you, because I’ve always felt a little like the world falls away when I’m here. I was hoping you’d feel the same way - I was hoping you’d feel safe with me here.” He looked at me pleadingly - hopefully. “Please, let me in, Ember. Trust in me enough to believe that I can be safe for you. Trust me enough to believe that I am safe enough for you to tell me what you’re running from.”

“Why?” I breathed, feeling another line of my defenses crumbling.

“Because maybe if I know what you’re afraid of, what you’re running from, I can protect you from it.”

There was so much passion in his plea that I felt my own heart break in my chest and my will to refuse him crumbled. Tears stung the whites of my eyes as I gazed out over the land he believed was so safe - so secure. And then I closed my eyes and spoke. “I’m afraid of my father.”

I felt him tense beside me, rather than saw it. The air changed and when he replied, his voice was a low and dangerous growl. “What?” I didn’t have enough time to explain before he demanded. “Has he hurt you? Do you think he’ll hurt you again? Do you think he’ll try to hurt me, is that why you refuse to let yourself be with me?”

“Luke.” I breathed his name. “He never hurt me physically.” I shook my head. “He just ruined my trust in men.”

There was silence for a moment...and then I told Luke everything. I didn’t leave out one harsh word my father had said about me over the years. I told him how I’d never been good enough and how horrible the man had been when he’d been a part of my life. And then I told him how he’d said I was never supposed to have been born - how he’d wanted me aborted. I told him of the little respect I had for myself because of him, and how for so long I had felt the need to prove myself. Only recently had I realized the true extent of the damage the man had ensued on me.

When I was finished, Luke’s eyes were enraged and his breathing was heavy. “There is nothing about you that I would change, Ember. He walked out on you - but that was his loss. You’re an amazing woman - so beautiful and kind and smart - and the man is a fucking fool for walking out on you.” He shook his head. “But you have to believe you’re worth more than he said. You have to believe he was fucked in the head, pretty girl, because there’s no other explanation.” He sucked in a deep breath. “No man who was a man at all would ever leave his child.”

A tear slid from my eye as I sucked in a shaking breath. “Thank you, Luke.”

“You have to believe you’re more than the things he said to you.” He pleaded. “Tell me you see the woman I see when you look in the mirror.”

Another tear fell. “What woman do you see?”

“I see a woman who is everything.” He stated. “I see a woman who is the very air I want to breathe, Ember.”

“Stop.” I commanded as another tear fell and then another and another.

“I see a woman who is warm and kind.”

“Luke, please.” I begged.

“I see a woman who is beautiful and funny.” I looked at him with pleading eyes and he nodded. “I see a woman who needs to believe she’s worth everything. I see a woman I want to spend the rest of my life, proving to her every day, that she is
everything
.”

“You’re a wonderful man, Luke.” I nodded through my tears, hoping he understood. “And I know you’re nothing like my father. I trust you, but...”

He interrupted me. “It’s okay, pretty girl.” He assured. “In time.” He nodded and I wondered if he was trying to convince himself, or me. “Until then, I can wait.”

***

“You’ve been quiet.” Luke said gently as we settled on the couch in his living room. We had a late movie night planned as it was Monday tomorrow - the only day of the week we didn’t do tours. Sunday nights were like our weekends. Luke continued, “You’ve been quiet since the ride.”

“I’m sorry.” I settled back into the couch on a heavy sigh. “I have a lot on my mind.”

“I hope I haven’t made you feel pressured, Ember, that was never my intention.” My eyes swung to his and I shook my head.

“No, Luke, that’s not what’s on my mind.” I assured - although, in part, it was on my mind. I mean, no sane woman would be able to get Luke’s words out of her mind. Hell, even a woman who so not interested would have fallen head over heels at his words of endearment.

Luke settled onto the couch beside me before turning off the lamp - swallowing the room in darkness momentarily, before the light of the television ignited a glow into the space. “Then what is it?”

“My mom told me she was kicking me out.” I announced bluntly and Luke stiffened beside me.

“She’s what?”

“Kicking me out.” I repeated. “You know, like making me get my own place.”

“Why would she do that?” He asked.

I shrugged, “I have no idea.”

For a moment there was silence, and then the movie began to play and the silence was sliced by the sound of the beginning of Kiss The Girls - an Alex Cross movie. I had a thing for thrillers and tonight was my movie choice.

“You know you can always stay here.” Luke interrupted half an hour into the movie.

“I have to work.”

“You can keep working with me in the barn.” He offered. “I always need help.”

I nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

“Will you?” He asked sharply, and I turned to look at him. If I was being honest, he’d startled me. Luke rarely took a sharp tone with me - so this was most definitely shocking to say the least. “Will you actually think about it, Ember?”

Slowly, I nodded. “Yes. I really will think about it.” I pulled in a deep breath and somehow found the courage to continue looking at him. “I have nowhere else to go. So yeah, I really will think about it, Luke.”

I knew he heard the hurt in my voice, because the hardness in his face dissipated as quickly as it had formed and he stood from the couch. I wondered what he was doing as he ran up the stairs, but then he reappeared with a pillow and a blanket.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re staying the night.”

I shook my head. “No.” I continued to shake my head. “No, I’m going home - like I do every time we have a movie night.”

“Please, Ember.” His eyes met mine and I felt my heartbeat quicken as I stared up at him. “Will you please stop fighting me. I’m not asking for you to do anything but stay the night.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to hold you - and I think you need to be held.”

“I don’t need to be held.” I defended, because defending myself had somehow, at some point, become second nature to me. “I’m fine.”

“Everybody needs to be held.”

I felt my lips curl in a smile. “Do you?”

“I need to hold, smart ass.” He gestured to the couch, tossing the pillow at the head. “Lie down.”

For a moment, I held his challenging eyes with mine - and then I lay down on the couch. I saw the surprise in his eyes at my compliance, and I took pride in my ability to surprise this man. Until he surprised me. Draping the blanket over his shoulders, Luke crawled on top of me, over me, and then behind me on the couch.

My heart was racing so painfully fast, I feared for a split second, that the organ might rip from my chest. And then I felt his arm move over my stomach to curl around my ribs. And then he pulled me tighter to him. My entire body had tensed to a point of painful stillness and my breathing had halted. I’d never, not in all my years, been this close to a man.