Fox, Morgan - Discovering Temptation [Texas Stallions 1] (Siren Publishing Allure) (2 page)

BOOK: Fox, Morgan - Discovering Temptation [Texas Stallions 1] (Siren Publishing Allure)
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She reached her hand out to shake Abby’s. Instantly, she accepted the woman’s gesture of acknowledgement. Her calloused hands showed the signs of years of hard work.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sophia. What did you do for my father?”

Stepping back, Sophia said, “I was his housekeeper and cook toward the end, but before that I was just his friend.”

Smiling softly, Abby understood that Sophia was the one she owed a big thank-you for making her move into the ranch better than she thought it was going to be. “Well, you kept the house up nicely. I truly appreciate what you did for him. I’m sure he was very grateful.”

Sophia’s lip quivered just a little as Abby studied her. The lines of age enhanced around her eyes as she seemed to be fighting back her emotions.

“Are you all right?” Abby asked.

The woman smiled slightly, and sniffled as she nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Curiosity over who this woman was and what her sudden teary-eyed disposition was all about, Abby asked, “So did you know my father long?”

The woman’s face lit up as if the sun itself burst out from behind gray clouds. “Yes, I’ve known your father since we were kids.”

Abby reached to grab a few red apples from the basket in front of her and placed them inside her cart. “So you knew my father pretty well, then?”

“Yes, I imagine I knew him very well.”

Abby felt her heart squeeze tight, and she wondered if maybe Sophia could help her learn more about her father. “So do you know if he was involved with anyone?”

Sophia stared back at her, the once-tender smile faded just a little, and her eyes watered. Swallowing hard, she replied, “I spent a great deal of time with your father.” She glanced down at her ring finger. The faint tan line of a ring still remained. “He meant a lot to me.”

Abby’s eyes swelled, and immediately she understood just how much her father meant to this woman. “Oh, Sophia, I’m sorry.” She couldn’t help herself. Suddenly stepping forward, she placed her hand over top of the woman’s she now knew had been engaged to Duke Blake. “You could’ve just told me the two of you were planning to marry.”

A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about knowing that.”

Abby smiled warmly, even though she knew very little about the dark-haired, middle-aged woman. Abby trusted her instincts, and they told her that her father had finally chosen correctly. Lord knew he’d picked lousily when he’d selected Cybil Burnett. “Sophia, I couldn’t be happier that my father wasn’t alone at the end.” A sad longing filled her heart. “I wish I had been a better daughter and come sooner.” The honesty in her words stunned her. She wasn’t bitter at her father for not coming for her, and perhaps it was because she resented her mother so much that all her anger flowed toward Cybil.

The moment had grown so serious, and Abby was thankful when Sophia asked, “Have you settled in okay at the ranch?”

“I think so,” she said, glancing down at her basket full of fresh fruit, sponges, paper towels, and a few cleaning supplies. “I needed to stock up on some groceries and a few other things.” Abby glanced at her watch. It was getting late. “I guess I’ll have to go to the hardware store tomorrow.”

“Have you considered hiring someone to help you tend to the ranch?”

“Yes, but I think I’d like to check things out first and see how bad it truly is before I bring a stranger onto the property.”

With a crooked smile, Sophia said, “You definitely are Duke Blake’s daughter.”

Without requiring an explanation, Abby knew exactly what Sophia was referring to. Trust was not something neither she nor her father handed out easily. Trusting a woman like her mother, Cybil Burnett, only made trust even harder to obtain. Her father had simply been burned too many times by those he believed had his better interest.

“Well, I’m glad I had the opportunity to meet you, Sophia.”

“Temptation is a small town, Abby. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”

“I hope so,” Abby said before whispering, “It sure would be nice to see a friendly face in the crowd of those gossiping about me.” Both women giggled.

“Take care, Abby.”

“You, too, Sophia.”

They each gave one final smile as they parted going in opposite directions. Abby headed for the checkouts. Purchasing her items, she picked up the two brown bags and made her way out of the market.

Arms full of groceries, Abby strolled back to her car. The sound of crunching rocks under heavy-booted feet coming from behind her had her searching for the owner of that startling sound. Two fierce hands gripped hold of her upper arms, whirling her off balance and thrusting her to the ground. The bags she’d been carrying tore, and the groceries scattered in all directions.

Moving to stand, she whimpered. Stinging pain shot up from her hands and knees. Before she could get to her feet, she was kicked in the ribs. The air rushed from her lungs. The masked man was on her before she could regain the air in her sternum to scream. Then he was hitting her again, slamming his fists into her back, stomach, and chest. She tried to block his assault, but he was too strong and fast. She fell to the ground in a heap.

Yanking her up by her hair, the masked man dragged Abby across the coarse ground toward her car. The rocks and gravel cut into the flesh of her arms and legs. She kicked wildly, trying to get free of her captive. Finding her voice, she screamed.

Suddenly, the man was no longer dragging her. Instead, he jumped on top of her, straddled her waist, and delivered several quick punches to her head and face. Dazed, she couldn’t see past the stars erupting in her eyes.

“Please don’t hurt me,” she begged, covering her face with her arms.

“Shut up,” he yelled, dragging her once again by her hair.

Abby wasn’t the kind of person to just give up, but she’d also never been hit in the face by a full-grown man. Her mind may have been clouded by panic, fear, and a splintering migraine, but it was also soaring with many questions. Who was this evil person dragging her to her death? What did he want from her? Why was he doing this to her?

“Hey!” shouted a deep, powerful voice.

In one moment she was released by her captive and the next she watched in absolute astonishment as his massive body was flung through the air like a rag doll. In the next instance, her rescuer was hauling her attacker up by his black shirt, wailing several quick punches into his face. Stunned, she couldn’t take her eyes off of the men as they fought.

Fists and feet punched and kicked at one another. Both large males looked as though they were trying to kill each other. Her attacker, clad in black, seemed to sneak in a couple of surprise hits, but it was her savior that had finally dealt a debilitating punch, making the man in black scurry off, disappearing into the thick blackness surrounding them.

Standing like a warrior in the glow of the store lights, her sweet salvation towered. He possessed broad, powerful shoulders and long, sculpted arms that hung at his sides. Closed fists still showed he was ready to protect her. Tight, stonewashed blue jeans magnified a butt so firm and round she felt naughty staring at a body poorly hidden by the denim fabric. In a moment where she should’ve been frightened, terrified by what she’d encountered, all she could think about was the man that had come to save her.

He knelt beside her and swept her up into his embrace. “You’re all right now,” he said as he stroked her tousled hair, combing it away from her face. “I’ve got you. He can’t hurt you now.”

A wild shiver charged up her body as he wrapped his arms around her. His brawny presence and soothing, deep voice pulled her from the trenches of her frightened psyche. She found herself nestling against him, cradling as close as she could get. The wild musk scent she discovered around his neck had her eyes opening. She had to see the face of her rescuer, had to know who had arrived like her knight in shining armor.

Weak and disoriented, she trembled as she eased back to gaze up at him. A nervous flutter sank to the pit of her stomach as she stared into brilliant, stormy, blue-gray eyes. The breathtaking cowboy seemed too much like a dream to be real. His dark-brown hair dipped low into the collar of his shirt, and her fingers itched to wrap around the back of his neck to feel the strands tickle her fingers. Her mouth was suddenly dry.

Holding her gaze, he said, “I’m Tyler Boyd.”

Her mouth hung open and the words she knew should be there just wouldn’t surface. Stammering, she asked, “I’m sorry, who are you?”

The delicious smile that beamed out at her had her praying that he wasn’t a figment of her imagination. “My name is Tyler. I’m assuming you are new around here since I’ve never met you before tonight.”

Nodding, she said, “Yes.”

He continued smiling, caressing the side of her face. “May I ask your name?”

Licking her lips, she felt a rush of heat fill her cheeks. “My name is Abby. Abby Blake.”

His brows narrowed. “You’re Duke Blake’s daughter?”

The way he asked the question had her curious and the sudden connection that he knew her father had her stomach twisting to know more about him. “Yes. How did you know that?”

In that moment, Sophia stepped forward. “Tyler, maybe I should take Abby home.”

Holding Abby’s gaze a moment longer, he nodded, and wrapped his arm around her, hoisting her gently to her feet. Never had the act ever felt so effortless. The power in his touch left her tingling in places that had no business tingling.

Sophia stepped up alongside her and took hold of her arm, supporting her weight the way Tyler had. The sudden absence of his warm and caring eyes left her cold and keenly aware of just how much she enjoyed being confined in his arms.

“Take care of yourself, Ms. Blake,” he said, tilting his white Stetson with his forefinger and thumb.

As Sophia escorted her to a nearby car and ushered her inside, she couldn’t help but gaze back to look for the man who had sparked more than idle curiosity. She watched as he picked several things up off the ground and headed toward a white pickup truck on the other side of the parking lot.

Turning to her new friend as she slid into her car, Abby asked, “What about my car?”

“We’ll come back for it in the morning. No sense in having you drive home alone after what you’ve just been through. I’m sure your nerves must be frayed. I know mine would be.”

Abby nodded, but actually her nerves were just fine. It was her heart and mind that left her confused and a little weary. Truthfully, Abby was afraid of everything, but at the same time she was too strong-willed to admit it. Strangely, the second Tyler Boyd showed up, all the fear she’d been consumed by faded into the night. All she could think about was the life she desired to have, but had always been too afraid to reach for. Maybe now was her chance.

She longed to find a way to make things work here in Temptation, because there was no way she could go back to Dallas and face her mother. Perhaps her little run-in tonight with whoever that ski-masked villain was may have been all the encouragement she’d needed. With any luck things could really work for her here in this small town, especially if she had the opportunity to once again come face to face with a certain dark-haired man that set her blood to a raging boil.

Abby licked her lips. “So who was that man that saved me?”

Staring through the windshield at the dusty road ahead lit only by the lights of her car, Sophie smiled. “Oh, so you noticed him, did ya?” She giggled. “That tall drink of water is Tyler Boyd, the oldest of three brothers, who’ve been in town just a short time in search of work. He and his brothers are ranch hands.” She glanced over at Abby who simply arched a brow. “They tend to cattle, and manage the day-to-day business of owning and operating a ranch such as Paradise.”

She could have choked on her tongue. They manage and help operate ranches. What was the chance of her running into him? “Do you know anything else about the Boyd family?”

BOOK: Fox, Morgan - Discovering Temptation [Texas Stallions 1] (Siren Publishing Allure)
12.56Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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