Heartfire (30 page)

Esther smiled at him, squeezed his hand and looked him straight in the eye.  "I trust my husband's judgment and Lucy's, too."  Unzipping her coat, she said, "Now, I've got to get supper ready.  Lucy, you show Mr. Burke around.  And Josh—"

"I wanna go with them."

It didn't look as if Zack had to worry about anything happening even if he was attracted to Lucy.  There were lots of chaperones.  Maybe this stay at the Rising Star was exactly the distraction he needed.  And if it wasn't?

He'd leave.  He'd gotten very good at that.

#

With Josh along on the tour chattering and pointing to his house that was as close to the all-purpose barn as the home where Lucy had grown up, she felt comfortable walking beside Zack.  At least that's what she told herself as he responded to Josh's questions and comments with patience and interest.

When the five-year-old ran ahead, she couldn't help but say, "You're good with Josh.  Have you spent much time around children?"

Zack stopped for a moment, keeping his gaze trained on the little boy.  "Not nearly enough," he answered softly.

Lucy thought she heard longing in his voice and analyzed what it meant.  Like most men, he wanted children.  Like Pete Cantrell.  And when she'd told Pete she couldn't give him a child...  He'd practically left a cloud of dust behind him as he'd rushed to escape their relationship.  Since Pete, she'd concentrated on her family, the ranch, business management courses, and thought about adopting a child herself someday.  She knew better than to repeat past mistakes.  She knew better than to expect a man to give up the idea of blood heirs to take care of someone else's children.

She had no reason to believe Zackary Burke was any different.  As she gazed at his profile, the defined bone structure, the angular line of a strong jaw, the thick vitality of his black hair, her heart sped up.  Yes, she was attracted to him.  But attraction was as insubstantial as smoke.  There was no point exploring her attraction to him...no future in letting sparks catch fire.  Because after the fire, she had nothing to offer.

Zack started walking again and she did, too, keeping her distance, reminding herself he was a drifter and would not be staying.

Glancing at Lucy as she grew quiet, Zack realized she had to take two steps to his one and he slowed his pace.  "Tell me about the ranch."

She smiled then, and he realized it was an automatic response to the place where she'd grown up.  "When I was little, I thought it was the world," she said.  "It seemed to have no boundaries.  I could run in any direction until I was too tired to keep going, and I was still on the ranch.  I can't imagine living in a big city with no land around me, no cottonwoods or fence or as much grass as sky."

"You love it here."

"I always have, and I always will."

Stopping again, he faced her, suddenly filled with the need not only to get closer to smell her perfume, but to know more about her.  "You don't have a desire to venture beyond the town of Long Brush?"

"I'd need a very good reason.  Even to live in town.  I like being out here with my family."

He itched to touch the glossiness of her hair as it swept across her cheek.  "You don't feel crowded?  As if they're in your business all the time?"  He'd never known real family.  He and Kay had been planning to put down roots...

"That's the greatest advantage to living on a ranch.  When I feel crowded, I have plenty of space to catch my breath."

Wanting to keep her talking, he asked, "Do you sell your horses locally?"

Lucy raised her chin a notch and stuffed her bare hands in the pockets of her jacket.  "Rising Star has a reputation.  We sell to customers all over the country.  The Quarter Horse isn't only a cow pony.  He's a great all-around horse.  And Quarter Horse racing is picking up again, too, though most of the horses we sell are trained for cutting events."

The late October breeze carried the forecast of winter as it suddenly buffeted Zack with more force.  When Lucy's hair blew across her lips, he couldn't keep himself from reaching out, smoothing it along her cheek.  Her brown hair was as silky as it looked.  Would her lips taste as sweet as he imagined?  Could her hands make him remember passion and the fire that drove it?

If he lowered his head, he could taste her...maybe taste desire again...

"Hey, Mr. Burke," Josh called from the barn door.  "Come see my saddle."

Lucy's lashes fluttered and she avoided his gaze.  Zack pushed desire away and said to Josh," "We'll be right there."  More disappointed than he wanted to admit that he hadn't kissed her, he was also grateful for the interruption.  What if he'd kissed her and found he was still frozen inside?  And what if she thought a kiss meant something other than curiosity?

As he saw Lucy's cheeks redden not only from the fresh air, but also from the embarrassment she was trying to hide, he knew a kiss would mean more to a woman like this than a moment of desire.

Then all of a sudden, she faced him squarely and asked, "When you leave Rising Star, where are you headed?"

The question took him by surprise—but only for a moment.  He realized Lucy, like most women, had permanence on her mind.  He'd learned too well that nothing about life was permanent.  "Trying to get rid of me already?" he teased.

"Of course not.  I just wondered, that's all."

He could tell Lucy wasn't the type of woman who could be easily sidetracked.  "Probably Texas."

"Any place in particular?"

Frowning, he shrugged as if he hadn't given it much thought.  "San Antonio, maybe."

"Why?"

"Is this still part of the interview?" he asked, impatient with her questions because he didn't have the answers.

"I guess you can say that.  Where a man is going can be just as important as where he's been."

He'd been to hell and was finding his way back to earth.  Holding on to anger that simmered beneath his impatience, he answered, "I'm going to San Antonio because I've never been there."

"And after that?" she pressed some more.

Raking his hand through his hair, he said, "I haven't planned it out.  Maybe I'll head up to Alaska and climb a few glaciers."

Lucy didn't blink an eye.  "What are you running from, Zack?"

Her insight brought his anger to the surface.  "I'm not running.  I'm exploring.  And I didn't realize when I accepted this job that I'd be grilled about my life.  Or are you reconsidering your offer?"

"No, the offer holds.  If you still want the job."

For some insane reason, he wanted it more now than when he'd ridden his bike under the wooden sign where letters carved into the wood read RISING STAR.

"Mr. Burke.  Aunt Lucy.  Are you coming?" Josh yelled again, holding the door open for them.

After waving to her nephew, Lucy waited for Zack's answer.

When her brown eyes searched his face, Zack realized this woman might have the power to make him feel again.  "Look, I want the job.  But I want my privacy, too.  Let's just stick to the here and now."

Her brows arched.  "A man without a past and without a future.  We can try it, Zack.  But I can't promise my family won't ask the same questions I have.  You might get tired of fending them off."

With a grimace, he shook his head.  "Let's go look at Josh's saddle.  I'll worry about fending off your family when I have to."

As he strode toward Josh, Zack realized Lucy's words were more of a prediction than a warning.  At least he'd be ready.

And he
would
be prepared.  He wasn't about to open wounds that were finally starting to heal.

#

Zack met the McIntyres as they straggled in for Saturday night supper.  Josh introduced each member as if it was the most important job he ever had.  Zack suspected Esther McIntyre had suggested the procedure to Josh as an exercise in social skills but also to make Zack feel more comfortable.  He was definitely a fish out of water in this family atmosphere.

Mary Jo McIntyre, Rick's wife, dressed in jeans and flannel blouse, her light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, sparkled with the same enthusiasm for life as her son.  "It's good to meet you, Mr. Burke.  I hope Josh hasn't been too much of a bother."

"No bother at all.  He makes a great tour guide."

Mary Jo smiled and ruffled her son's hair.  "He knows more about this ranch than I do.  He sees and hears everything."

Zack laughed.  Twice in one day.  How long had it been since laughter had been part of his life?

When Rick McIntyre shook Zack's hand, his grip was firm, his gaze friendly.  "Lucy asked me Josh's very-important- question.  How about you and I take a turn around the place on your bike sometime before I give Josh the okay?"

Zack heard the amusement in Rick's suggestion.  "No problem.  In fact, you might even want to try it by yourself."

Rick grinned like a teenager.  "I was hoping you'd say that.  I think you and I will get along just fine."

When Tom McIntyre came in, he went to the kitchen, hugged his wife and dropped a kiss on her cheek.  Then he joined the group in the living room.  With a grip as strong as his oldest son's, he shook Zack's hand.  "I understand you roared in here on a motorcycle.  Maybe we can convince you a Quarter Horse is a much better means of transportation."

Lucy crossed to her father with a smile.  "Better watch it, Zack.  He's the best salesman in the state of Wyoming."

Her father grinned at her affectionately.  "You know as well as I do our horses sell themselves.  I just find them good riders."  He looked Zack up and down.  "Something tells me, this man is a good rider."

Before Zack could respond, the door flew open and everyone turned toward it.  A younger version of Tom McIntyre stood in the doorway, a load of firewood stacked high in his arms.

Tom said in a low voice to Lucy, "We actually got some work out of him today.  Maybe he's gonna stop mopin' about that girl."

"Dad...," Lucy chided.

"He's got to get on with his life.  You know that better than anyone."

Lucy glanced quickly at Zack, then looked away.  But not before he saw the shadows in her eyes, not before he saw her chagrin that he'd overheard her dad's remark.  Apparently something...or some
one
...had hurt her.

Marty dumped the logs on the hearth by the fireplace, then turned toward the group gathered around it.  Unlike the other McIntyres, he made no move toward Zack.

After a moment of silence where the atmosphere in the room suddenly became awkward, Lucy introduced the two men.  "Marty, this is Zack Burke.  He'll be working with us for a while."

Marty's dark brown eyes focused on Zack, switched to his sister, then back to Zack.  "So you did it.  Fine.  I didn't know bringing in hired help was an occasion for a party, though.  We usually only have this commotion on Sundays."

Esther, standing in the doorway to the living room, addressed her son.  "We're a family everyday.  I wanted Zack to feel welcome."

"Welcome to the ranch," Marty said automatically, with no real feeling, but because it was expected of him, then he headed for the stairs and disappeared before he could be chided for his rudeness.