Nearest Thing to Heaven (Maverick Junction) (21 page)

He fisted his hands in his lap. “My world was a dark place, Tink. A very, very dark place. And I honestly didn’t know if I wanted to crawl out of that cavernous hole. I didn’t know if it was worth it. And then the boys came home.

He glanced at her, tears swimming in his eyes. “I fell in love all over again. So I dragged myself out of that dark hole and worked to put together a life for us.

“It’s been over four years. That’s a place I never want to go again. A place I cannot open myself to. Do you understand? It has nothing to do with you.” He thumped a fist on his chest. “It’s me. My fears. I’m sorry.”

She crossed to him, took hold of his fist, and uncurled his fingers, making
shush
ing sounds. “There’s no need to be sorry.”

“I can’t block it out, Sophie. I can’t pretend it never happened. It did, and it changed me. Julia is the boys’ mother. She’ll always be part of our lives, but I’m also beginning to understand it’s time to start a new chapter. She’d kick my ass if she saw where I am right now. She wouldn’t want this for me. But I’m afraid.” He stared into her eyes. “That’s a humbling thing for a man to have to admit.”

“It shouldn’t be. If a person has no fear, he has nothing to lose. Nothing he loves.”

Sophie laced her fingers with his, and they sat quietly.

Finally, he said, “When I look at you, Tink, I get confused.”

He kissed her gently. When he drew away, she snaked an arm around his neck and pulled him back. She kissed him and he fell into the need, the thrill.

He moved to the floor and tugged her down beside him. The firelight flickered over her, accentuating the amber in her eyes, turning her skin into molten gold.

“It’s been a long, long time for me, sweetheart, so I’ve got an awfully short fuse.”

“That’s okay. We have all night for encores if the first movie’s too short.”

“Thank you.” Gazing into her eyes, he said, “I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve you.”

His hand slid beneath her sweater. He had to see her. In one swift move, he pulled it up and over her head. He drew back to look at her, his breath catching. “You’re beautiful.”

He undid the snap and zipper on her jeans and slid them down her legs. Taking in the matching bra and panties, he grinned and traced the edges.

“Nice.”

“Again, thank Maggie. They’re from her store.”

“I’ll do that.” Then his lips moved where his finger had been.

She groaned.

“Fair play,” she insisted, unbuttoning his shirt and running a hand over his bare chest, along the six-pack abs. “Oh, cowboy, you’re in some shape, aren’t you?”

“I could say the same about you, sweetheart. And mine. All mine,” he murmured into her hair. “God, you’re so damn hot. I can’t get enough of you.”

When he saw the tattoo of Tinker Bell, complete with wings and magic wand, riding high on Sophie’s left buttock, he laughed. “I should have known.”

“I believe in fairies. I believe in magic.”

“Part of what makes you who you are.” He ran a finger over the tattoo. “I envy the tattoo artist who put this here.”

She smiled, slow and sexy. “But he only got to see it once. I’ll let you visit any time you want.”

Her words pushed him over the edge.

He rolled her to her back, felt her curves against his hard body. Damp flesh against damp flesh. “I need you. Now.”

As he entered her, he raised his head, their eyes meeting. “I want to see you. Know I’m making love to Sophie London. You overwhelm me. I’ve dreamed about this.”

“I’m so glad,” she whispered, “because I’d sure hate to be the only one feeling so needy.”

And then the intensity devoured him, and he was lost to her.

Sophie stretched her arms over her head. Sometime during the night, she and Ty had moved upstairs, showered, then tumbled into his bed. Together. Who’d have thought shower sex could be that incredible? The water sluicing over them, his hands slick with soap sending shock waves through her.

This was a first for her. She’d never, ever spent the entire night with a man. Never cuddled in her sleep. Never woke to find one still in her bed…or his bed, as the case might be.

And she hadn’t meant to do it this time. As intimate as sex was, actually sleeping with someone had always felt bigger to her. More important.

But then, she and Ty hadn’t had sex. They’d made love. There was a huge difference, and, holy fireflies, it scared her.

Careful not to wake him, she rolled her head on the pillow. Sleeping, he was relaxed. At peace. So much responsibility lay on those broad shoulders. But in sleep it all slid away.

Her mind drifted to last night, on the floor by the fireplace. He’d made it crystal clear he was making love to her, Sophie London, not Julia. She understood what a huge step that was for him. And for her.

When she looked at him again, he was awake and watching her. The corners of his lips curved in a sleepy smile.

“Good morning,” he said. “Come here.”

His arm snagged her around the waist. “Let’s not get up just yet.”

When they finally made it downstairs, Ty, dressed in nothing but unsnapped jeans, his feet bare, set to work making a pot of coffee. Sophie, dwarfed by one of his shirts, sat at the table, watching the play of muscles over his bare back. The man was unbelievably sexy.

She brought the collar of his shirt to her face, smelled him, and smiled. What a night they’d had. Her heart kicked up a notch, remembering what those hands now scooping coffee had done to her. What that beautiful mouth had done.

As the coffee dripped into the pot, he reached into the cupboard for a mug but turned at the rap on the front door.

“Oh, no.” Eyes wide, Sophie jumped up from the chair.

“Relax, Tink. I’ll see who it is.”

Too late. He’d only taken a couple steps when they heard the charge of feet toward them. The boys were home.

Babs followed them into the kitchen. Her brows arched as she looked from Ty’s half-dressed body to Sophie.

Sophie dropped back onto her chair, tucking her bare legs under it.

“I take it dinner went well?” Babs asked.

“Hard to talk with that tongue stuck in your cheek?” Ty handed her the first cup of coffee. “From the look on your face, I think you probably need this worse than Sophie or me.”

He turned to the pot and poured a second cup for Sophie. “Here you go, Tink. Drink up.”

Jesse sidled up to Sophie and laid his little hand on her arm. “Did you and Daddy have a sleepover, too?”

Her eyes flew to Ty’s. He hid behind a mug of coffee. “Um, yes, we did. It was, uh, late when we finished eating, so—” Cripes, what was she supposed to say?

Jonah came to stand by her. He rested both his hands on her legs and looked into her face. “Sometimes when we have a bad dream, Daddy lets us sleep in his bed. Did he let you sleep in his bed?”

Babs spit coffee across the table. “Sorry,” she choked out. “Ty, hand me a paper towel.”

Sophie didn’t need a mirror to know her face had turned as red as the ribbon on the Christmas wreath they’d hung yesterday on the front door.

“Anybody want French toast?” Ty tossed his sister-in-law a towel before moving to the fridge. He turned, a carton of eggs in hand.

“I do. I do.” Josh danced around the kitchen. His brothers joined in.

“Nice save,” Babs muttered.

“There you go. I always have been quick. Sophie, if you want to run upstairs and grab a shower, things should be pulled together here when you’re done.” He winked at her.

“Thank you. That’s a really good idea.” Her dignity in shreds, she rose and picked up her coffee mug. “Think I’ll take this with me.”

As she headed up the steps, she could only imagine the conversation Ty and Babs were about to have.

W
hat had she done? Sophie’s mind ping-ponged, back and forth, back and forth, her mood changing second to second. She’d sworn off the man; she’d
slept
with him. Holy raindrops and fairy whispers!

She swung the Chevy into Dottie’s drive and simply sat there. The temperature had dropped dramatically, and Christmas music played over the radio.

December. She could hardly believe she’d been here almost a month.

Maggie and Annelise would be by in a little bit to pick her up. They wanted to hit the shops today, soak up some Christmas cheer, and indulge in a little retail therapy.

Before they got here, she needed a quick change of clothes. Needed to settle her mind.

Last night? Whew. How could it possibly get any better? Ty. Everything she could ever have imagined. Considerate. Passionate. Tender. And that body. All those ripped muscles. A cowboy who rocked!

She liked him—a lot.

And she could name a thousand reasons why he was bad for her. No, not bad. Just wrong.

It had almost killed her to see Julia’s picture beside Ty’s bed last night. Did he talk to her once he had the boys safely tucked into bed and fast asleep? Did he ask her advice? Tell her how much he loved her? How much he missed her?

How did you compete with a dead wife?

The answer was simple. You didn’t. You couldn’t.

She’d been right the other night when she’d told him she needed to end their relationship. It was the safe thing, the smart thing to do. Still, she couldn’t regret these past couple days with him and the Triple Threat. They’d been beyond wonderful, and she wouldn’t wish away a single minute of them.

As for last night? She didn’t regret that, either. She could and would regret there’d be no repeats, but not that it happened.

Argh. She needed to shake off this mood of hers because today? She and the girls were going shopping! And Maggie and Annelise deserved better than a pouty, pity-me tag-along.

Bracing herself, she opened the car door and stepped out into the cold.

Since she’d showered at Ty’s while he and Babs had their little chat, all she needed now was some makeup and a fresh outfit. She’d slap on her happy face while she was at it.

Her credit card couldn’t deal with too much more therapy, but there was still a little wiggle room on it. Besides, it would take a few weeks for the billing cycle to catch up to her. And wasn’t that mature? Digging the key from her purse, she leaned her hip into the door and it swung open.

What the heck? Open-mouthed, she stood in the doorway, chill air blowing into the tiny apartment. A huge grin split her face. How had Ty managed all this so quickly? It hadn’t taken her that long to drive in from the ranch.

Her cowboy really was a romantic!

She forgot her decision to call it quits, pushed aside all the reasons she and Ty couldn’t be, and simply enjoyed the moment. With a happy little sigh, she stepped in, closing the door behind her.

Flowers filled her apartment. Red roses in a crystal vase on the dining room table. Soft pink ones in a little teapot on the coffee table. Yellow ones spilled from another container on the counter.

She clapped a hand over her mouth and all but danced to the table. Putting her face in the largest bouquet, she breathed in its scent, then slid the accompanying card from its white envelope.

Her purse, along with the door key, clattered to the floor. The florist’s card fluttered from suddenly nerveless fingers and landed face-down on the table.

Even behind her closed eyes, she saw the message.

Her head swiveled, searching right, then left. She spun around to look behind her. Oh, God! Her gaze skittered across the room, darted toward the bedroom, the bath.

He was here!

Ty saddled Beau and rode away from the stable. He turned up the collar of his coat and settled his Stetson more firmly on his head. Damn. It was colder than he’d thought.

Still, he needed to check on the herd in the south pasture, be sure the trough hadn’t frozen over. This weather was tough on cattle. Thank God it didn’t hit very often.

As he rode, his mind drifted to Sophie. Sophie of the incredible brandy-colored eyes, the long lashes that feathered her cheek as she slept.

The woman made everything right. Made his world a far, far better place.

And he’d taken her to his room last night, to his bed—with Julia’s picture sitting right there. Talk about rubbing Sophie’s face in his past. He’d called himself every kind of fool. Still couldn’t believe he’d botched things so badly.

The photo had been there so long, he rarely noticed it anymore. He’d told Sophie the truth about having put it there for the boys. Still…He couldn’t blame her for her reaction. Hard to make love with a guy with the dead wife watching.

What a jumbled mess. Maybe Sophie London really
was
part fairy. She sure had worked her magic on him.

When the kids had come home earlier than expected this morning, despite his nonchalant handling of it, he’d been worried about what they’d think when they found her there.

He needn’t have given it a second thought. They’d acted as though it was the most natural thing in the world and couldn’t have been happier.

Ty’s eyes swept the landscape as he rode, on the watch for cattle that might be in trouble. So far, so good.

When Jonah had asked if she’d slept in his bed, Ty’d thought Tink was going to have a coronary. Or maybe Babs.

Now there was the real threat. He’d asked his sister-in-law to stay quiet about him and Sophie, but that was like asking the first reporter at the scene not to tell anyone the
Titanic
had gone down. The chances of it actually happening? Realistically? Nil to none.

Of course, it probably didn’t matter a whit, because the first person any of the triplets ran into would undoubtedly hear all about Sophie sleeping with Daddy. He turned his horse east and gave him his head.

For himself, he didn’t care. Sophie was another matter entirely. He hadn’t considered what this might do to her reputation, how she might feel about everyone knowing. Truth? He hadn’t really thought any of it through. He’d just reacted. And that wasn’t like him.

Sophie had pegged him on that. He wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment person.

Ty swore under his breath. This shouldn’t be so hard.

He hadn’t so much as dated since Julia died. At some point in the future he figured it might be an issue, but by then, he’d assumed the boys would be older and he’d be able to explain—or wouldn’t need to.

He rode along a stretch of fencing, checking it for breaks. In the distance he heard the lowing of cattle and set his horse to a gallop.

His mind kept pace, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Thing was, he flat-out hadn’t seen any of this coming, but he probably should have. When Annie had said she’d chosen her cousin as maid of honor, he’d flashbacked instantly, in living color, to the incredibly beautiful woman wearing Jonah’s cherry soda on her lap. He’d wanted her from the moment he’d laid eyes on her.

Maybe he was over-worrying all this. Maybe the boys had it right. This thing between him and Sophie was perfectly normal. Perfectly natural. Two unattached adults enjoying each other.

Yeah, and maybe, just maybe, he was setting them all up for heartbreak.

Panic swept through Sophie as she stood beside the table.

Dottie wasn’t home. She’d left yesterday for her daughter’s again, wanting to spend Christmas with the grandkids. Her son and his family would be there, too. All of which meant Sophie was alone here in this big house.

With Nathan?

She’d locked her door. She knew she had. Yet the flowers were here. Her gaze moved over the room, looking for anything else out of place. Anything else different.

Other than the flowers, she saw nothing.

Her brain kicked into gear, and common sense surfaced. A few roses didn’t mean Nathan was actually here. In town. A semblance of relief washed over her. He was in Chicago at work—where he’d picked up his phone, called a florist, and had the flowers delivered.

But the door had been locked. Unless the florist was also a locksmith…Her gaze still traveling around the room, phone in one hand, she drew in a shaky breath and told herself to calm down. She’d overreacted. On alert, ready to run at the slightest sound, she picked up the card from the floor. On it was the logo and phone number for Heaven Scent, Maverick Junction’s only flower shop. Cell in one hand ready to dial 911 if anyone popped out, Sophie stepped into her bedroom, peeked into the bath, then opened the closet. Even though she was alone, she felt silly. But she wasn’t taking any chances.

No Nathan.

No cat, either.

“Lilybelle? Lilybelle? Come here, kitty. Please be here. Be okay.”

A soft meow came from beneath the bed. When she lifted the dust ruffle, the cat slunk out. Nearly weeping with relief, Sophie scooped up the cat and buried her face in its soft fur.

Retracing her steps to the living room, she lowered Lilybelle to the couch, then sat down beside her. Tapping the flower shop’s card on her thigh, she decided to give them a call.

Bitsy Devlin answered. Sophie had met the florist at Annelise’s and Cash’s wedding.

“The flowers are absolutely beautiful, Bitsy. You do such great work. I, ah, wanted to ask about Nathan, the man who had them delivered. He didn’t actually come into your store, did he?”

“Nope, he called in the order.”

The tightness in Sophie’s chest relaxed.

Bitsy chuckled. “Let me tell you, he was very specific about what he wanted. The order kind of surprised me, though.”

“Why?” Sophie asked.

“Well, everybody knows you and Ty have a thing going.”

Sophie rolled her eyes. There was that
thing
again. Did the whole town know she’d spent last night with him?

Deciding not to remark on Bitsy’s comment, she said, “Do you know where he called from?”

“No, ma’am. Sure don’t.” She hesitated. “Does it matter?”

Sophie made a noncommittal sound. “Can I ask, Bitsy, how you got inside to deliver them?”

Again, Bitsy paused. “He said your door was unlocked and that we should just go on in. He insisted it would be okay.”

A shiver ran down Sophie’s spine.

“Sophie, is everything okay? Was it all right for us to do that?”

“Yes. Sure.” She forced a smile into her voice. “Again, they’re gorgeous, Bitsy. Thank you.”

She hung up. Hands still shaking, she pulled a trash bag from the pantry and dumped every single flower in it, containers and all, before tying it tightly. She tossed the whole lot outside onto the landing. She’d throw it in Dottie’s garbage can on her way out.

Had she locked her door? Doubt crept in. She couldn’t be sure, had gotten careless since she’d been here in Maverick Junction. With Dottie gone, she could have sworn she’d locked up, but maybe she’d forgotten.

Still, how had Nathan known her door would be unlocked? The question nagged at her.

He didn’t know. A good guess on his part. Small town. People left their doors unlocked. He’d played the percentages. Nathan Richards was good at that.

Well, she’d definitely lock up when she left with the girls today. And double check.

Sophie had no more than finished the last swipe of mascara when a horn tooted in the drive. One quick check in the mirror and she ran to the front window. Raising it, she waved down at Maggie and Annelise. “Be right there.”

“If you have any Coke, bring me one,” Maggie hollered back.

“Got it.” Grabbing her purse and a soda from the fridge, she stopped to give Lilybelle a quick rub. “You be a good girl. I’m counting on you to stay safe, you hear?” She tipped up the cat’s head and stared into her eyes. “I’m locking the door. If somebody does get in, though, you run and hide, understand?”

The cat meowed in response.

“Good girl.”

Stepping onto the landing, she turned the key in the door, jiggled it once, then again for good measure. Soda tucked in her purse, she picked up the trash bag. At the bottom of the stairs, she lifted the lid on the garbage can and dumped Heaven Scent’s entire delivery in it.

Good riddance to bad garbage.

Instead of heading toward Austin, Maggie drove south toward San Antonio. “We’re not actually going into the city, though,” she said.

Sophie pouted. “Why not? I’ve never been there.”

“Tell Ty to take you.” Seeing the instant look of regret on Sophie’s face, Maggie said, “What’s wrong, honey? Did you and Ty have a fight?”

“No.” Sophie shook her head. “Just the opposite, actually.”

“The opposite? Make love, not war?”

Sophie laughed.

Cranking the car’s stereo system down a notch, Maggie slipped in a Christmas CD. “If that’s the case, you really should be doing cartwheels today. I’m wondering why you aren’t. You gonna share?”

“I will. A little later. A lot’s tumbling around in my head right now.”

“Are you okay?” Annelise asked from the back seat.

“I think so.”

Annelise nodded, and Sophie breathed a sigh of relief, understanding both women would give her time. Would let her talk when she was ready rather than nagging her into it now while her head was a combat zone.

The sun shone brightly. The wide open Texas sky was bluebird blue and virtually cloudless. Patches of snow still clung to a few tufts of grass along the road’s edge, but the roads themselves were clear and dry.

The cool, forty-degree temperature made it perfect for Christmas shopping. It gave the illusion of winter without a person suffering frostbite. And as much as she missed the hustle and bustle of Chicago, she didn’t miss that frigid wind whipping off the lake.

“By the way, Maggie, Ty says thank you very much.”

“For?”

“My little pink and black undies. He enjoyed them last night.”

“Now you’re bragging.”

“Maybe. A little.”

Maggie’s eyes twinkled. “I think, then, a new item deserves top billing on our shopping list.”