Nearest Thing to Heaven (Maverick Junction) (16 page)

As they bumped along the narrow dirt lane, Sophie looked at him, brows quirked. “This isn’t the road home.”

“Nope. A little side trip. You mind?”

“I guess that depends on where we’re going and what we’re going to do when we get there.”

Oh, boy. Heat flared in his belly. He had plenty he’d like to do, but he didn’t figure full disclosure was required or expected.

“It’s a beautiful night. Look at that moon.” He peered up at it through the windshield. “A perfect crescent. And those stars. Beside me, I’ve got a pretty lady.” He reached across, ran a hand along the top of her leg. “I thought it might be nice to stretch the evening out a little longer.”

“The sky is magnificent. Chicago never truly gets dark. Because of the city lights, we never see all these stars. You forget, you know?”

“Can’t say as I do, Tink. I’ve lived here in this open land all my life. But a sky like tonight’s? That’s a vista I never tire of.”

As he arrowed the truck into a turnabout and threw it in park, Sophie sat, hands in her lap, looking around them. “This looks an awful lot like, um, a place you’d take a, um, date to go parking.”

“Got it in one.” He stretched an arm along the back of the seat and ran a strand of that silky, moon-kissed hair between his fingers.

She laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Nope. It occurred to me I’d like to spend a little more time with you, and it’s damned hard to find any privacy. My place, we’ve got the boys. ’Nough said about that. Your place isn’t much better. Ms. Dottie’s downstairs, and I’d really like to have you all to myself for a bit longer. That okay?”

“More than.” Her voice had taken on a breathy tone that curled the toes inside his Tony Lamas.

He played with the pink and green crystals dangling from her ear. The other, he noticed, sported the same earring plus a small silver dangle. It didn’t surprise him. Tink didn’t seem to like coloring inside the lines. She did everything her own way.

“You want to play a little kissy-face?” he whispered.

“I thought you’d never ask,” she whispered back.

Leaning toward her, he dropped a kiss just beneath her ear, then another, and another. “We can pretend we’re teenagers,” he murmured. “How’s that sound?”

“Lovely. Teenagers without all the teen angst.”

“There you go. And no parents to chew us out for not making curfew.”

He set his hat on the dashboard, turned on the radio, and slid his seat back. Then he turned to her and undid her seat belt. As he pulled her toward him, he gave thanks he’d ordered the truck with a bench rather than bucket seats.

“Oh, Sophie. I’ve been wanting to do this all night.” His lips met hers with a hunger so intense, it blew his mind. She melted into him, her tongue flicking out, teasing, taking.

His hands moved up under that pretty little sweater she was wearing, ran over her soft, heated skin. He trailed kisses along her neck, her quiet sounds igniting further fires in his belly. He’d been right. The woman was a sorceress.

Her hands found their way under his shirt, traced along the edge of his belt, and he groaned. Then she trailed them along his back.

He couldn’t get close enough. His hands wandered higher still, played along the edge of her bra. Reaching around her, he unsnapped the scrap of lace that stood in the way of total ecstasy. He had to touch her, taste more of her. Her hair smelled of flowers, of nighttime secrets.

Moonlight filtered softly through the now thoroughly fogged up windows. Ty could no longer tell which sounds were his, which were hers.

He ached for her.

But when his fingers moved to the button of her slacks, she laid a hand over his.

“Ty, we need to stop.” Her voice sounded husky and sexy as hell. “This isn’t a good idea.”

“What’s wrong, Sophie? I know I’m rusty at this, but unless I’ve made a major mistake in reading you, you want this as badly as I do.”

“You haven’t misread me. I do want you.”

Heat shot through him.

“But I can’t do this.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Both, actually.”

Breath ragged, he struggled for air. “Why?”

“Because you and I both know this isn’t going anywhere, and I’m really not into one-night stands.”

“A one-night stand?” He pulled away. Sophie leaned against the window, all mussed and sexy looking, her lips swollen from his kisses.

“Okay. Maybe a four- or five-night stand.” She smiled sadly. “This, well, it’s not exactly the best time for me. And you? You’re not ready for more.”

Reluctantly, he drew her sweater down to cover her and kissed her cheek. “I won’t take more than you want to give, Sophie.”

“I think maybe you already have.”

He spread his hands. “I don’t know what to tell you. You know the way things are with me. I’ve been right up-front from day one. The boys—”

“I know. The boys come first. And they should. But I don’t want to do this and then walk away feeling less.”

“Less? I make you feel less?” Hurt? Anger? He couldn’t identify the feelings that rushed through him.

“I…That’s probably not the right word choice. My emotions, my feelings, are all over the place. I think it’s time to take me home.” She tossed him a heartbreaking smile. “I’ll let you walk me to the door without any fuss, and we can say our good-byes tonight.”

Not good nights, but good-byes?
That hurt. More than he’d imagined. “What are you saying?”

“I—”

“Sophie.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Why are you doing this? We had a wonderful night. At least I did.”

“I did, too.”

“There’s no need for us to end. Not tonight. Not like this.” Panic rushed through Ty. Panic he didn’t understand. “I enjoy being with you. We don’t have to do this.” He waved a hand between them. “We don’t have to have sex. I enjoy spending time with you. The boys enjoy spending time with you.”

“I know. And I enjoy being with all of you, but…I have to watch out for myself, Ty. I’m sorry.”

In the moonlight he could have sworn he saw tears in those incredible brown eyes. Shit!

“Look, Tink, I’m going to step outside. Take a minute to get myself together. You can do the same. Then, if that’s what you want, I’ll drive you home.”

When they reached her apartment, he didn’t walk her to her door. The instant he parked the truck in the driveway, she flew out and rushed up the stairs without a word.

In the moonlight, he stood at the bottom of them, waiting till a light came on in her kitchen. He waited there a full five minutes praying he’d hear her door open again, that she’d come back down to him.

She didn’t.

Sliding behind the wheel, he wondered how things had gone so wrong. Blackwater Road. He shouldn’t have pulled off there, should have taken her straight home. Sent her off to her bed with a hot kiss to dream about.

Instead, he’d screwed things up royally. Wasn’t that a kick in the ass? He hadn’t touched a woman since Julia. Now, he’d met someone who’d brought him back to life, and he’d driven her away. Had he said his skills were rusty? Corroded was more like it.

Neon lights glowed in the window of Bubba’s Roadhouse as he drew close, and the open sign was still lit. Nowhere near ready to go home yet, he swung into the parking lot.

From the number of vehicles, the Saturday night crowd was lingering over drinks and music. Too bad. Spotting a couple cars he recognized, he swore ripely. He definitely wasn’t in the mood for company and had hoped he could just go in and brood over a beer or two.

The engine still running, he fought with himself. He really ought to go home and let Haley escape. He didn’t want to, though. He loved his boys. He really did. But every once in a while, the weight of it all got to be almost more than he could handle.

And then there was Sophie.

He turned off his black monster and, heading inside, pocketed the key. A few people spoke when he entered. He nodded at them but said nothing as he headed for the bar.

“Hey, Ty. You’re out late.” Bubba shouted to be heard over the other patrons’ chatter and laughter. The jukebox belted out an upbeat song, adding another layer to the din.

“Yeah, I am. Draw me a draft, would you, pal?”

“Sure thing. Everything okay?”

“Never better.” The words sounded bitter to his ears. “Add a basket of chips and salsa to that, would you?”

“You got it.”

Ty propped his feet on the bar’s boot rail. That had been one heck of a make-out session. That tight little body of Sophie’s could make a grown man cry. And her kisses? Hot as jalapeño poppers. But just like when he’d actually been a teen, the girl had put on the brakes and left him aching.

The damnedest thing about it was that she’d been right. Neither of them was ready to commit. A rueful smile curled his lips. He couldn’t even offer her his class ring. Nothing was that simple anymore. Bottom line? He could wish things had turned out differently, but he couldn’t blame her in the least.

Bubba slid his beer down the bar, and Ty took a healthy drink.

“Here you go.” The bartender plopped chips and salsa in front of him. “Anything else?”

“Nope.”

“Holler if you need another.” He tipped his head at the beer.

“Thanks, but one’s good.”

Munching chips, Ty pulled a small bag out of his shirt pocket and removed the small trinket. A tiny ornament. The fairy from Peter Pan. Tinker Bell. He’d spotted it at one of the shops they’d gone into. He flicked it with his finger and watched it twirl at the end of the green satin ribbon.

His chest ached. If nothing else, Tink had uncovered a part of him that had been missing for years now.

He supposed he should be happy about that.

Yeah. And maybe he would be. Someday. But not tonight.

Tonight it hurt.

Crossing the dance floor where a couple Texas two-stepped, he dug some quarters from his pocket. Plugging them into the shiny chrome Wurlitzer, he punched in the buttons—twice—for “The Keeper of the Stars”. When it played, he remembered dancing across this very floor with Sophie snuggled up close.

“Sure you don’t want another beer?” Bubba called. “You’re empty.”

“Yeah, hit me again.” He might as well, because he sure wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight. He hadn’t felt like this since—never. He’d never felt quite like this before.

But after this drink, he was done. Two was his limit. The boys would be up early tomorrow whether he’d been to bed or not.

E
verybody Ty ran into at Sadler’s was in a chatty mood, from Mrs. Sandburg, his second-grade teacher, to the shelf-stocker. They asked about his boys and commented on the weather. Then, invariably, the conversation turned to Sophie, as if he and Sophie were an item or something. They weren’t. Damn meddlers. How was he supposed to get her out of his system if they kept throwing her in his face?

Gritting his teeth against the saccharine-sweet “Holly Jolly Christmas” that played over the store’s speakers, he focused on his list.

“Hey, Ty.”

His head jerked up, and he silently groaned.

Bubba stood in front of the meat counter, one foot perched on a cart’s rung. “Decided I’d better pick up some more ground beef before the lunch crowd hits after church. Almost sold out last night, and my delivery won’t be in till tomorrow.”

Ty grunted in response.

“How you doing today?”

“I’ve got a headache if you really want to know,” Ty snarled.

Bubba made a disgusted sound. “You used to be able to handle more than a couple beers.”

“Yeah, and I used to smack people around when they pissed me off.”

“No, you didn’t. That’s one of the things I’ve always admired about you.”

Ty, who’d already pushed away, whipped back to look at Bubba. He swore when the quick movement sent another shot of pain through his already abused head. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You. You weren’t like some of the other kids. You never bullied the ones who didn’t quite fit in. You took time for them. Helped them out.”

“Now you’re seriously pissing me off, Bubba. You’re making me sound like a damn pansy.”

Bubba’s brow quirked, and he pulled thoughtfully at his bottom lip. “Nope. Definitely not a pansy. You could whip anybody’s ass when they had it coming. But you didn’t go looking for it, and you didn’t dump it on someone who already had their plate full.”

Bubba met his gaze. “We go way back, Ty. You’re a hell of a nice guy. Your own plate’s been pretty damn full lately, and you’re handling it with class. But—” He scratched his head. “I gotta say I think you’re blowing it when it comes to a certain pretty little blonde from up north.”

“Screw yourself, Bubba. Nothing’s going on between Sophie and me.”

“Now ain’t that a damn shame.”

“Here you go, Bubba.” The butcher handed him his package of meat. He dropped it into his cart and walked away, leaving Ty mad as a hornet and with no one to take it out on.

His parents had stopped by on the way to church while he was wrestling the boys into clean but un-ironed outfits for Sunday school. His mom had helped, right after she’d slid a casserole of beef stew into his fridge. Since nobody made beef stew like his mom, he was grateful. They’d have it for dinner tonight.

At the deli he grabbed a loaf of French bread to go with it. In the produce section, he tossed a bag of salad in his cart. And there you go. A well-balanced meal.

“Thanks, Mom,” he muttered.

“Talking to yourself?”

Ty turned and saw Mel behind him. “What’s up? Is the entire population of Maverick Junction shopping today?”

“Don’t know about everybody else, but I have to get it done on my day off.”

“Yeah, well, consider yourself lucky to have one. In the ranching business, there is no such thing.”

“True enough. Heard you hit Bubba’s last night. Why didn’t you give me a call? I’d have met you there.”

“Oh, for— Does the town set off some warning signal when I step out of the house without my kids?”

Mel shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“Then how the hell did you know where I was last night?”

“Ran into Bubba in the candy section while I was debating between Peppermint Patties and Three Musketeers. He told me to watch out, that you were on the loose and baited for bear.”

Frustrated, Ty sighed and tossed two gallons of milk in his buggy. “I’m fine.” Seeing the look of concern on his friend’s face, he added, “Really.”

“Okay. But if this is about Sophie—”

“It’s not about Sophie.”

Mel’s brows shot up.

“Okay. It is. But I don’t need any help.”

“Talk to her. Whatever went wrong, just talk to her. And take her flowers. Tell her you’re sorry.”

“For what?”

“For whatever you did.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Sure you did.”

“I’ve got to go, Mel.” He headed to the checkout.

Why did everyone assume
he
did something? Why couldn’t Sophie be in the wrong? Hell, Sophie
was
in the wrong. She was the one who’d called things off. Not that they’d had a thing.

As he carried his groceries to the truck, he thought about what Mel had said. Maybe he and Sophie should talk. They weren’t right for each other. Not long-term. That was a given. But he hated like heck to have her go back to Chicago with this thing hanging in the air between them. Upset with each other.

He turned the key in the ignition, and the radio blared “Joy to the World.” Rather than put the truck in drive, he simply sat there, truck running, in the middle of the parking lot.

He needed to sort this out in his mind before he descended on her.

Bottom line? She’d rained on his parade, and he was having a heck of a time forgiving her. He’d looked forward to their night out more than he probably should have. He’d had a better time than he probably should have. He’d liked kissing her. Way more than he should have.

And today? He really ought to be on top of the world. He wasn’t. Because she’d been honest with him. Told him she needed to end it.

The upshot of it all, though? He’d broken through some kind of barrier, one he hadn’t realized existed. A huge chunk of him had died and been buried with Julia.

Now, life stirred again in him.

It felt wonderful.

It hurt.

Guilt, heavy as a full-grown steer, settled over him.

Throwing his truck in reverse, he backed out of his space. This thing, whatever it was, could wait until tomorrow. He’d give both of them some breathing room. Today, he and Sonny and a couple of the other guys planned to shore up the south pasture fencing. He’d take the boys along, and they could play while the men worked.

The fresh air would do them all good. Then they’d head back to a home-cooked meal.

What could be better?

He and his boys were doing just fine.