Texas Gold (14 page)

At least Tim looked guilty. “I figure someone's called her by now.”

“Called her. That’s good. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it. So is it a command performance for her also, or does she get a choice. Because see, I’m wondering how many choices you Baber boys let Mallory make, and I don’t want an answer right now. You just take that question on home and pose it to your brothers and see what answers you might come up with.”

So much for playing nice.
 

But someone needed to point out to these people that Mallory had been stifled in this town. Eventually, he would leave, and then what would happen?

As he thought the words, he realized how much he didn’t want to leave. He hoped it didn’t show on his face.

If it did, Tim couldn’t see it. “Mallory lives her own life, Alexander, but we stick up for her if need be.”

He turned to leave but just before he opened the door, he pivoted to face Brenton once again. “Tomorrow, lunch. You’re expected.”

When Mallory took the left onto Baber road, she could see the mound of red dirt she’d stood on so recently. She’d known then that this day would come even though she hadn’t heard a peep from her family.

And sure enough here they were. Hopefully her brothers wouldn’t make ogres of themselves. Daddy would be his normal old self, which would be fine. But she wasn’t so sure about Tim and Scott. Thank God the others were out of town.

“Scared?” Brenton’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

He looked so good in his jeans and tee shirt. Not like a millionaire at all. He fit in perfectly dressed like that.

She pulled in next to Julie’s car and turned off her ignition. “No, not scared. Worried a little. But with Jen and Nina there, it won’t get too bloody. And Carolyn’s going to be here, too. She can’t wait. It’s all she’s been talking about since I called her yesterday.”

“I’ll try not to embarrass you,” he teased.

“Let’s just say it’s not you I’m worried about.”

She moved to get out of the car and he stopped her
 
with a hand on her knee.

“Wait a second.”

She started to protest that it was a hundred outside the car and rapidly moving up to one hundred and fifty inside when he leaned over and kissed her. “A little good luck kiss.” And just like that, car temperatures didn’t matter a bit.

“I’ll take more of those anytime you feel like it.”

“Even though your entire family’s watching?”

She giggled. “How about because they’re watching. It’ll do them good.”

Brenton laughed with her as they walked up the steps to the house she told him she’d grown up in.

She didn’t have to knock. Jen and Nina met them with tall glasses of lemonade. “Dad, this is Celinda’s secret recipe, and wait until you taste it.”

It didn’t take a genius to see his daughter and Mallory’s niece were stalling them. He wondered if Nina wasn’t feeling a little protective herself.
 

He heard a few whispers and then finally someone said “fine” only it sounded more like a cuss word before finally Tim’s wife, Julie, walked out.

She immediately hugged Mallory. “Mal, I’m glad you’re here.” She shook his hand and seemed to make herself say, “And you too, Brenton.”

Taking a sip of the drink in his hand, he did his best to ease the moment. “This is good.”

Julie barely suppressed her frown. “Of course it does. You two come on in.”

They followed her to the kitchen and Julie continued, “Dad’s out in the barn. He’ll be in a minute.”
 

Mallory leaned over to Brenton and whispered, “Wow, even Julie’s worked up over this. I knew you were special, but I had no idea. Don’t worry. Just use your good ol’ charm, and you’ll have the whole table thinking you’re God’s gift to Serendipity.”

“You think?” He whispered back.

She nodded. “Just look at me.”

“I think the first thing I ought to do is wander on out to the barn and have a little talk with your dad.”

Holding out her hands, she shook her head. Was he insane? “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He disagreed. “I think it’s the only way this dinner can go on. I’m not willing to sit at the table and eat under the glowering eyes of everyone in your family. So if I talk to your dad, tell him what’s going on, maybe he’ll approve.”

“Are you crazy?” She tried to whisper, fully aware that her brothers and sisters-in-law were in the next room. “What are you going to say, Brenton? Coach Baber, I just want you to know I’m sleeping with your daughter because I wanted her, and well, I tend to get what I want.”

He looked offended at her words. “Is that what you think’s going on?”

“No.” She tried to ignore her mother’s smiling photos looking down on them like some guardian. She hated this room. “But you did try to get him fired. The entire town knows that, so I’m sure he does, too. And a couple weeks ago, I despised you. How do you explain us? I have a hard time doing it myself.”

Pulling her into his arms, he brushed his hand through her hair. It only made her feel worse.

“See this is what I’m talking about. You make me feel like some kind of princess half the time, and it makes me feel like a traitor.”

For a moment, he stood silent, holding her close and barely kissing the top of her head.

When he pushed her back, held her away from him at arms length, his smile was reassuring. “You’re no traitor, Mallory. You’re the most amazing woman in the world. No one else fought me. Hell, you’re still fighting me on Serendipity. We’ll have to talk about this more later. But right now, I’m going to talk to your father. If I’m not back in ten minutes, you might want to call 9-1-1.”

She watched him leave and knew he was making a mistake. There was no way her daddy would ever forgive him for trying to sabotage his career, so trying to explain their relationship was a moot point.
 

To J.D. Baber, football was life. Everything else was secondary.

Brenton could hear feet shuffling along the dirt ground around a corner when he walked into the barn.

It looked as if at one time, the Babers had raised more than the few horses still left in the stalls. It didn’t matter what he did to this town, the farming life for this family had come to an end a long time ago.

Instead of the comfort that thought should have brought, he felt a disturbed sense of longing for a past he’d never known.

He wondered if that wasn’t the driving force behind Mallory’s quest to stop the development of her home town.

He turned the corner to find J.D. Baber waiting for him.

The man was still close to six feet tall. The lines in his face spoke of an outdoor life. His silver hair added character, and Brenton bet the man could still tear him up one side and down the other with either hand tied behind his back.

For a second neither man spoke. J.D. pulled a white handkerchief out of his red shirt pocket, spit and wiped his mouth. “Wondered if you’d be man enough to come out here. Thought I’d give you another couple minutes.”

What was he supposed to say to that? At least J.D. hadn’t spit on his shoe. “I want this dinner to go smoothly for Mallory. I figured talking to you would be the best way to accomplish that.”

J.D. spit again. “Well, you’re right about that, but no matter what happens out here, Mallory’s brothers have minds of their own. If they decide to give you a difficult time, there’s nothing I can do to prevent it.”

Now that he faced Mallory’s father, he wasn’t sure what to say, and J.D. wasn’t going to make it any easier.

The pungent smell of manure and grain mixed with the dust that settled everywhere as he shifted his feet.
 

“I suppose you know we’re here at Tim’s request.”

“I heard something about that.”

“It probably would behoove your sons to treat their sister like an adult in the future. They might not suffer her wrath if they did.”

“Well, now, that’s something you’ll have to take up with them.”

“She’s been wondering when you would call.”

For a second, a look similar to resignation showed on J.D.’s face. “Mallory’s got her own life to live. How she sees fit to do it is her own concern.”

From what he’d seen of the famous Coach Baber, it didn’t seem like he worried too much about his daughter. “She’d fight to the death for you.”

“Ah. Now we’re getting somewhere.” J.D.’s blue eyes, so like Mallory’s, flashed as they caught his. “She still fighting you there?”

“No sir.” Brenton shook his head and listened as the horse in the stall next to them moved with restless agitation. “There’s nothing to fight about where you’re concerned. I’m not a part of that anymore.”

J.D. regarded him with open curiosity. “But you were?”

“Yes. sir.” No sense lying. “But Mallory refused to consider a relationship with me unless I stopped.”

Her father seemed pleased to hear his words. “But it doesn’t really matter whether you’re a part of the plan or not. The writing’s on the wall, as they say.”

What was he supposed to say to that? Yes, sir. It seems that when I came to town, the mayor and school board formed a leveraged buyout of sorts, so your days as coach are numbered?
 

He didn’t say anything.

“What do you think will happen then? It’ll be sooner than later. I’ve heard the talk. You were a God-send to Mayor Jenkins. Old Harvey’s hated me since the day I benched his oldest son for drinking on a team trip. I never thought I’d see him win.”

The older man stood shaking his head, lost in a time from the past for a few seconds.

“I’ll do my best to make her happy.”

J.D. shook his head. “You’ll hurt my baby girl when the board lets me go. Even though you don’t mean to. It’s too late for it to be any other way. You’re too involved.”

“I know you’re right, but I think we can survive that. I know I’m going to try.”

“Do you love her?””

Brenton didn’t know how to answer the question. He certainly loved spending time with her. Loved the way she looked when she battled him over Serendipity’s future. Loved the way she looked when they made love.

He opened his mouth to say he didn’t know, when J.D. continued.

“Because she needs a man to love her.”

Brenton was surprised at the emotion in the man’s voice. From what he’d seen and heard the past few weeks, he’d decided J.D. Baber didn’t much care about his daughter.
 

“She needs a love like her mother and I had. A love like that could survive the hurt she’s going to feel. But I’m not sure she’ll let herself love like that. She closes herself off from so much.”

“Why?” Brenton had assumed he knew the reasons Mallory kept a part of her self held back. Assumed it had something to do with living in a house filled with boys and a man obsessed with a game. Maybe he’d been wrong.

J.D. spit across the yard again, sizing him up as if here some sort of opponent. “I didn’t figure she’d told you the story yet. It’s hers to tell. After they let me go, I figure that hard-headed gal of mine will make things tough for you. It’ll be worth it to earn her trust. But, I’m warning you right now, if you hurt my daughter, I’ll make sure it’s one of the last things you do in this town.”

Brenton believed him.

“I’ll do everything in my power to not hurt her, sir.”

The older man harumphed and wadded his handkerchief and stuffed it back in his pocket. “Well, at least we got that said. I’m thinking Celinda’ll be out here after us if we make her chicken fried steak cold. Like I said earlier, I can’t make anyone accept you, but I certainly do. As long as you remember what I said. Keep it close to your heart because I meant it.” He turned and walked toward the open end of the barn. “Let’s go eat.”

Chapter Ten

They’d survived.

Or rather, he’d survived. Mallory had never been in jeopardy.
 

Brenton smiled at the thought. Once again he’d taken a huge risk, and as usual, he’d triumphed.

Once J.D. had made it known he was welcome, the coast was clear. He’d charmed Celinda and Julie and talked business with Tim and Scott.

And the longer he’d talked, the more he realized how much Mallory’s family loved her. Their desire to protect her might be overwhelming at times, but he couldn’t fault them for that.

He’d seen a new side of Mallory. Up until the then, he’d seen her connection to her family as protective. Lunch with the Babers showed him so much more. The brothers teased, she sassed and worked hard to make every one laugh. Including him.

Lunch had proven to him again how different they were. Lunch with a family like the Babers had been his dream at one time in his life. Somewhere along the way, he’d buried that dream. Obliterated it as he earned one dollar after another until it no longer mattered.
 

Or so he thought.

Now that night had fallen and they were headed back to reality, Brenton found himself yearning to be a part of that life.

Ridiculous, of course. Impossible.

But he couldn’t erase the image from his mind, even as Mallory brushed her hand along his thigh.

“It’s nice that Nina’s staying with Jen, hmm?”

Brenton reigned in his thoughts. Remembered his plan. “I think Nina would stay at your brother’s every night if she could.”

“I’m sure. I remember what that age was like. I’m surprised she guilted you out of restriction though.”

He almost laughed. “She didn’t. I just let her think she did.”

“Why’s that?” Mallory asked as she pulled her car into his drive.

“I’m surprised you have to ask.”

She pulled the car to a stop and turned to face him, her words barely a whisper. “I didn’t really have to ask, but you’ve been so quiet, I thought I might be wrong.”

He wasn’t about to explain where his thoughts had been on the way home. Instead he leaned toward her. “You weren’t wrong. We have the house to ourselves, and I have every intention of making tonight a very, very special night.”

Her eyes met his and he felt the warmth of her breath as she answered. “Well then, I’d say we’d better high tail it into that big ol’ house of yours before another minute passes us by, I’d hate to waste a second of what you’ve got planned.”