Ring of Fire Book Two of the McKay's (3 page)

Perhaps he was her medicine.

Funny how easily she'd let that night with Eric go, after returning home. It no longer seemed important, but she had buried her wounds deeply. Eric wounded her ego and her emotions more than anything. And Letty learned to cover it up. He'd changed the way she saw the world. She'd become harder, more judgmental of men, less trusting.

Most people would think she was crazy
, for not pressing charges but he hadn't actually raped her, he'd just slapped her a couple of times before he came to his senses and turned her loose. Maybe she was crazy. But a small voice inside her head told her Eric would get his comeuppance. Besides, he had only destroyed her trust, not her heart; she wouldn't let him ruin her life. She had won that night, and now, in the light of day, she realized her own triumph.

She heard Julie and Kellie come in and decided she had better get out of the bathroom.

Wrapping the towel around her, she unplugged the tub, and unlocked the doors and went to her room.

Wendy was there, sitting on her bed and watching her curiously. "Julie said you were giving up law. Why?
You only have another year and you'll be finished, why quit now?"

Letty paused a moment to reflect on that question.

"I don't know." Letty shrugged. "If we are really going to inherit a huge sum of money, there seems no reason to continue with it," Letty said flippantly. "Money was my goal at first, and then I actually began to like the thought of saving some innocent soul. I just found that law was not as sacred as I once thought, and more political than I care to admit. But now, being here, I don't know…it's just not important any more. Don't tell anyone, but I like being home."

"But
you are so close to getting your degree…" Wendy insisted. "I can't imagine letting something like that go."

"I know. And I might go ahead and get a degree, I don't know yet. That way if I squandered away the money, I'd have something to fall back on.
But coming home sort of changes things, at least for a while. I don't want to think about how grueling school is, or how lonely. I want to enjoy the fact that I'm home again. I still don't understand Dad's insistence on staying here. It's not like he's here to be with us. And truthfully, I miss him like all get out. But I know one thing, coming home is right; it's where I belong…at least for now. And who am I to argue with fate itself?"

Chapter Two

"Letty," Julie called from the hallway as she stopped at Letty's open doorway.

"Yeah, in here, come on in," Letty invited, moving some of her clothes off the bed so Julie could sit down.

"I wanted to ask you…would you consider being my maid of
honor." Julie stared at Letty who was trying on a dress and shaking her head with the distraction.

"Oh Julie, do you mean it?" Letty glanced at her sister.

"Yeah. Of course I mean it." Julie smiled.

"I'd love to.
" Throwing the dress on the bed, she grabbed Julie and hugged her so hard they both fell over on the bed. "I've never been a maid of honor, for anyone." Letty shrugged back into her jeans and t-shirt when she realized she was over-reacting. Julie couldn't possibly know how much this meant to her. Could she? "Although I've been a bride's maid a few times, I've never been the maid of honor. Oh…this is gonna be so great. Thanks for picking me."

"You are the only one I would ask. I love Sandy and Wendy, but you and I have so more in common these days. I mean
, we communicate better…oh you know what I mean." Julie chuckled, watching Letty jump into the tight jeans with a frown on her face.

"Those jeans are killer quality." Julie laughed.

Letty zipped them easily and smiled. "I don't know why I even think of putting on a dress when these are like a second skin. I've really missed being able to dress like this. I don't want to see a dress until the wedding, okay?"

"If I didn't know better I'd swear you were out to get a man, but I do. Being a model
, tight jeans must come natural to you. You have such a great figure." Julie leaned with one elbow on the bed.

"
Once you get them on, they are so comfortable." Letty laughed. "You know, I don't think about being a model much. It comes kinda natural to me too, I guess. That's why I keep doing it. Of course it will only last a few years and then it will be over, but that will be enough for me, and I can always fit it into my schedule."

"And that gorgeous hunk of a camera man?" Julie questioned.

"Aw yes…Candy Man. Yeah, he's cute. Not my type but cute." Letty laughed.

"I caught Sa
ndy drooling over him the other day." Julie laughed.

"
Really? Well, she isn’t alone. Most of the models have tried to date him, but he's a hard catch." Letty looked up at her in surprise. "That's priceless. Candy Man would be a hard one to nail down to a relationship, but well worth the struggle, I'm sure. That is if you were interested. I hope Sandy can handle him."

"Why aren't you
after him yourself? I mean, he's gorgeous," Julie persisted.

Letty twisted her head and stared out the window. What would Julie think if she knew who she really had her eye on?

"Candy Man, Mike, is a man of the world, a free spirit type. So you've noticed him too?"

"Too?
"

"Sandy
was talking to him this morning. Oh, who knows, maybe they will hit it off and he'll be her one and only."

"Well
, why not…he's attractive as all get out." Julie laughed.

"I don't know. I just never thought Sandy would go for someone like him
. Not at all what I want in a man, although, I've got to admit, he's put together nicely. Anyone can see and appreciate that. I like him, but I learned early on, that in modeling you don't fall for your camera man. Its business and better kept that way."

Julie sat on Letty
's bed, pushing back so she could lean against the wall. "Wow, how professional of you. Did you ever date him?"

Letty laughed. "
No, I never did."

"Is Candy Man
, or Mike, a nice guy?" Julie frowned. "I mean, he wouldn't lead her on and hurt her, would he?"

"Julie
, when it comes to men there is no telling. I think the best thing for us to do is not worry until there is a reason to."

Julie nodded.

"Besides, I wouldn't be working with him if he wasn't a decent guy. I trust him as much as any man. And he's great with a camera." Letty smiled. "He could make an old, fat, dried up woman look good with that camera of his."

"Good, then Sandy is safe with her new found interest?"

"Relatively. As safe as a woman can get with a worldly man," Letty remarked. Then, after consideration, she glanced at Julie. "Of course, I don't know how much Sandy has matured over the years. We'll just have to keep our eye on them. He could still break her heart."

"Personally, I wouldn't want a man in that kind of profession myself." Julie cleared her throat.
"Seems like it's just asking for trouble."

"Me either!" Letty laughed.
"Now," Letty sighed heavily as she threw a gorgeous clingy top over her head, she joined Julie on the bed. "Let's talk wedding. I guess Kellie is on cloud nine now that her parents are shaping up."

Julie looked surprised then smiled. "She couldn't be happier.
I only wish I'd come home sooner. I never dreamed things could work out so well. I'd always been so afraid to tell Cade. It seemed unfair, especially not knowing how he felt. I wish I'd come home, talked to him about it."

Letty looked at her sister,
and then sat beside her on the bed, looking straight into her eyes. "I've always thought Cade was a nice guy. He's always sort of stayed in the background of Wade, but I don't think it was intentional. I think he must be shy."

"
He is shy, and quiet and strong and oh God…I love him. It's really strange Letty, I've never made love with anyone else, and deep down inside me, I know I never wanted to. It took me a long time to realize that. I just wish we hadn't wasted so many years apart."

Letty laughed
. "Yeah, but think of all the fun you will have catching up."

Julie let out a giggle.

As they spent the better part of an hour talking about the wedding, Letty suddenly realized how much she envied Julie. Julie had it all, the man of her dreams, a sweet daughter, and soon all the money she would ever need. Still, it was after the effects of the money settled in that bothered Letty the most. Would they all change, become different people?

"So what do you know about Hank Silver?" Letty asked after they had set all their plans in motion.

"Hank Silver, I'm not sure who that is…" Julie repeated the name.

"You had to have noticed
him; he's quite possibly the most handsome man on the ranch other than Wade and Cade," Letty explained.

When Julie shrugged, Letty added, "He's the horse wrangler."

"Oh….oh yes. Cade introduced me some time ago. But I really haven't spoken to him much. Don't know anything. Would you like me to find out more?" Julie offered.

"Through Cade?"

"Of course."

"Yes…"

"You like him, don't you?" Julie giggled.

Letty thought about it a moment.
"Well….I don't know. I find him a bit arrogant, sure of himself and yet sort of humbling in some ways. I don't know how a man can be both, but he is."

"
I'll tell you how, they are cowboys. That's how cowboys are. Its inner bred. Wow, you have noticed this one, haven't you? Well, I gotta admit, he's the last one I would figure you'd be interested in. I mean, he seems too much like Dad. And you…"

"Me what?" Letty demanded. "What am I? How do you see me?"

Julie paused as though thinking about the question. "I don't know, Letty. With your education, and all, I just had you paired with someone in the same field, is all. Maybe even a judge."

"Uh…no!
That will never happen, I can assure you. I've never met so many self-absorbed men in my life. In the first place, I've left the profession so to speak. Not officially of course, but in my mind, I have. In the second, there's no real challenge butting heads with another lawyer. I guess it's a matter of too much of a good thing."

"Wow, Letty, you astound me right and left." Julie laughed.
"Giving up all that education, and all your plans."

"I do?
I never really had that much of a plan, Julie. Maybe that's what is wrong. I didn't have a plan. Yeah, I thought I'd get my degree, open an office and defend every poor drifter that came along. I was going to save the world. But it was delusional."

"
I think this is the most interesting development of all, seeing you attracted to a man that you have nothing in common with." Julie smiled.

"You think I have nothing in common with Hank Silver?" Letty asked, as though surprised by the comparisons.

"I don't know…" Julie considered it again. "I'm just now learning how wrong I had you pegged in the first place. It does astound me. It's like I never really knew you at all. You fascinate me."

"Well, you ain't seen nothin' yet!" Letty assured her and got up to twist her bootie and walk out of the room.

She could hear Julie's laughter following her all the way down the hall.

***

"Look Hank, I gotta talk to one of the suppliers today, I don't have time to take Letty and her camera man out to the north pasture for some shoots. Could you handle that for me, please? I'm gonna be tied up at least half the day," Wade asked Hank who was brushing down his horse.

"Yeah, I guess so…boss." Hank nodded as he glanced over at the two who just became his business. "You guys ready to go?"

"Sure…" Candy Man smiled at Letty.

"Exactly where am I taking you, Miss Letty?" Hank asked as he turned around to give them his full attention.

"I thought maybe the north side; there is some beautiful country over there," Letty filled him in as she helped Candy Man stow the gear in the back of Hank's truck. Hank took note that Miss Letty wasn't one to stand around and do nothing; she pitched in and helped like a regular hand. He admired that about her. He admired a lot about her, but she was way out of his league, he was a country boy and Letty was worldlier. Besides, she was probably interested in her camera man.

"Am I supposed to babysit you?" Hank asked with a curious grin.

"I'd appreciate you hanging around in case there is a problem or in case Candy Man wants to try a different area." Letty glanced at Hank. "That is if you don't mind?"

"No horses today?" Hank asked before he got in the truck with them.

"No, this is a fashion shoot," Candy Man replied. "By that I mean it's strictly for the clothes. A beautiful horse would distract from the beauty of the clothes, if you get my drift."

"You have an appreciation for horses?"
Hank glanced in the back of the truck and saw that Letty had added a large garment bag to the equipment.