The Cowboy's Surrender (6 page)

Thank goodness, she enjoyed her own company. This was the life she had chosen. It was a good life. She refused to feel sorry for herself, when on occasion, she felt lonely. Nothing in life was perfect and being alone didn't bother her much.

The image of a tall dark cowboy suddenly invaded her thoughts. Dallas had been dominating her mind a lot lately. Making her aware of her loneliness. Making her yearn. For what, she didn't know. The man confused and tantalized at the same time. Made her feel edgy and restless.

Gillian sighed. She would just have to get over it. Ignore the feelings. Ignore him. She didn't want a relationship with Dallas or anyone. She was better off alone. Safer.

At the pool, Gillian settled in a corner by the fence away from the crowd. Spreading her towel, she removed her robe and liberally applied sun block. Picking up her paperback, she lay down and relaxed. Later, when the sun became too hot, she would take a dip in the inviting blue water.

Soon, she lost herself in the intrigues of the romance novel, barely conscious of the background noise of children splashing, shouting and laughing.

The story was well written, a real page-turner. Passion and love, heated kisses and tangled sheets. Gillian felt her body responding. Unbidden mind-pictures of Dallas McCade looming over her, his eyes full of sexual promise made her body quiver all over.

Gillian snapped the book closed. Damn, it was hot. Definitely time to cool off in the pool.

Stepping into the shimmering water, she eased into the chilly depths. The water felt good on her heated skin. She looked around, trying to get her mind off the book, trying not to think of the sexy rancher or the heat rushing in her veins. She smiled at some of the young mothers sitting on a bench, watching their children in the pool.

Several kids were playing a game, diving under the water, retrieving brightly colored rings. The childish laughter, the sheer joy in their faces made Gillian wish one or two of them were her own. She would have liked to have a couple of kids.

Shrugging off the fantasy, she dove under the water. She swam hard and fast, slipping through the sparkling depths, covering as much ground as her lungs would allow before coming up for air.

She made for the edge of the deep end, then turned and swam on her back the entire length of the pool. Three more times, she dove under and went as far and as fast as she could. Her lungs ached before she allowed herself to break the surface. After the last lap, she dipped her head back into the water, sleeking her hair out of her face. Treading water for a few minutes to catch her breath, she leisurely swam back to her side of the pool.

The vigorous exercise had chased away her demons. She had definitely needed that. Her body was deliciously tired. Troubling thoughts of men, relationships and kids were miraculously held at bay, at least for a little while.

Stepping out of the water, she turned toward her towel only to find herself face to face with one of her demons. Dallas McCade blocked her way. What was he doing here?

For a frozen second, she watched his eyes skim the length of her body. She felt her nipples pucker in response, a languorous heaviness settle low in her stomach.

Quickly, Gillian sidestepped around him and hurried to her corner. The admiration in his potent blue eyes made her shiver all over. She grabbed her robe, gathered her things and made her escape, calling herself a coward a million times over. Knowing she shouldn't let the man dictate her actions or reactions. She had never met a man quite like him in all of her twenty-eight years of life. One who could turn her insides to slush, make her feel hot and cold at the same time.

She reminded herself she didn't want a man. Didn't need a man in her life. The tingling awareness in every nerve ending in her body told her she was lying.

****

Dallas stood frozen in his tracks, unable to shake the erotic image of Gillian rising out of the swimming pool like a sea nymph, water sliding down her glistening body, dripping at her feet. His eyes had devoured her and he'd inspected every luscious curve of her figure. The beaded nipples beneath her yellow swimsuit and the bright red toenails had screamed sex.

In a flash, she'd dodged around him and was gone. He'd fought a gut-wrenching urge to grab her and crush her against him. He forced himself not to turn and watch her leave.

Swallowing a hard lump in his throat, Dallas walked toward the pool. He'd come to pick up his niece, Kelsey. Austin had asked him for the favor and naturally he'd agreed. His brother was raising his daughter alone. Doing a damn fine job, too. But once in a while, he needed help. So, that was why he was here, at the swimming pool of all places, running into the one woman he was trying to exorcise from his mind.

"Uncle Dallas! Uncle Dallas!"

All thoughts and images of tempting sea nymphs were ruthlessly set aside. Dallas smiled at his niece as she raced toward him.

The lifeguard blew his whistle at her for running, and Dallas shook a finger at her. "Whoa! Slow down, hotshot. You could slip and hurt yourself. You ready to go? You have all your stuff?"

Kelsey nodded. "Can we get a snow cone on the way home?
Please
?"

"Sure thing. Let's go." He patted her wet head and pulled the towel tighter around her shoulders.

The little girl skipped beside him on the way to the truck, chatting all the while, trying to decide what flavor of snow cone to choose. Dallas opened the door and she hopped into the front seat.

The hot July sun beat down mercilessly. Dallas felt the sweat on his forehead beneath his Stetson. A snow cone would be just the thing to cool him off; maybe it would cool his fevered blood and heated body, though he seriously doubted that. He'd been taking a lot of cold showers lately, and they hadn't done much good cooling him off, or easing his tension, or making him forget. Nothing seemed to help get Gillian Bankston out of his mind. It was pitiful, that's what it was. Downright pitiful.

****

Two days later, Dallas sat at the old oak table in the kitchen reading the newspaper, while his mother bustled about preparing breakfast. His sister-in-law, Jessie, sat across from him eating a cracker and looking squeamish. Ruth McCade set a cup of hot tea in front of her daughter-in-law, then hurried back to the stove to pour pancake batter onto the hot griddle.

"I thought women got over morning sickness after three or four months," Dallas said, picking up the sports section of
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Jessie grimaced as she swallowed a corner of cracker. After taking a tentative sip of tea, she leaned back and breathed deeply. "Not all women. It seems I'm one of the rare ones who get to be sick during the entire pregnancy."

"Lucky you," he grunted.

"Yeah, lucky me. Only seven more weeks to go, thank God." She closed her eyes.

"You sure you're all right?" He didn't like the paleness in her cheeks.

Jessie opened one eye and looked at him. "Gee, Dallas, your concern is touching. I didn't think you cared."

"Hell, you're my brother's wife. I care." He buried his nose in his paper.

Jessie closed her eye again and sighed. "Could have fooled me. You've never forgiven me for leasing the mineral rights to Copper River Oil Company, and you huff and puff around me like you hate me."

"He doesn't hate you," Ruth said, setting a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of Dallas. "You know how he is. He can't help it if he's gruff."

Dallas mumbled his thanks, then smeared butter on the pancakes and poured warm syrup on top. He took a bite, then looked at Jessie. She stared at his plate, then turned an interesting shade of green. He shook his head as she dashed from the room with a napkin pressed to her lips.

Ruth sat down next to him with her own breakfast.

"You think she'll be okay?" Dallas asked. "Maybe you should go check on her."

Ruth shook her head. "I tried to help her yesterday, but she doesn't want anyone near when she's feeling sick. She'll be back directly."

Dallas shrugged and continued with his breakfast. As he wiped the last bit of pancake in the syrup on his plate, Jessie walked back into the kitchen.

"Feeling better?" Ruth asked, patting Jessie's hand.

"Yes. I'll be fine in a little while. Thankfully, the sickness doesn't last all day." Jessie swallowed some of her tea and took another bite of cracker.

"Maybe you should have stayed at your house while Cameron's at the medical conference and presenting that paper," Dallas said, frowning at her and his mother.

Jessie shook her head. "I know it's silly, but I didn't want to be alone with Cameron gone."

Dallas wiped his mouth and pushed back his chair. "You wouldn't really be alone. The ranch is only twenty minutes from town. I sure hope that baby doesn't come early."

"Why would you even think that? My pregnancy is progressing normally, all except for this stupid morning sickness." She took another sip of tea. "Speaking of town. I need to go into Salt Fork to discuss some things with Sam about the garage."

Ruth gathered the plates and headed for the sink. "Whatever do you need to discuss with Sam? He's perfectly capable of running the garage while you take some time off from work."

She hesitated for a second. "I want to see how things are going, and . . . I have some other business to take care of, too." Jessie kept her eyes on her teacup.

Dallas wondered what she was up to. Was she hiding something? She'd been absolutely right when she'd said he hadn't forgiven her for leasing those oil rights.

"What kind of business?" Ruth asked, wiping crumbs from the table.

Jessie flushed red. "I didn't want to upset either of you. I have an appointment with a Mrs. Gillian Bankston down at the drilling site. She has some papers for me to sign."

"Oh, dear," Ruth said, sitting down again.

Dallas stood suddenly, almost knocking his chair over. "I think I'll go with you to the drilling site. I don't want you 'accidently' renewing that damned lease or anything like that. What time is the appointment?"

Jessie's eyes widened. "After lunch, but there's no need for you to go. I won't be renewing the lease. I'm well aware of the grief I've caused with those mineral rights."

Dallas shoved his chair under the table. "You don't have a clue about the grief you caused. I'm not taking any chances. I'll go with you." He grabbed his hat from the coat rack near the back door and slammed out of the room.

He didn't stop until he reached the corral. Giving a shrill whistle, he waited at the gate until his favorite mount trotted up. Leading Black Star to the barn, Dallas threw a saddle on him, then took off for the east pasture. There were several calves he needed to check on.

He knew he'd been abrupt with Jessie, but he couldn't help it. He hated having Copper River Oil on his land and he didn't trust his sister-in-law, especially after she'd promised not to lease those rights and then gone back on her word. What if they made her an offer to extend the lease? An extremely tempting offer? If he went with Jessie, he could make certain she didn't give into temptation. If he went with her, he would get to see Gillian again.

Dallas jerked on the reins, pulling Black Star up short. Anticipation hummed through his body. It had been two days since he'd seen Gillian at the pool. During the day, he could usually dismiss her from his thoughts. But at night, his dreams tormented him with visions of her lithe body gleaming in the sun, clad only in that skimpy little bathing suit.

What in the world was happening to him? He'd been turned upside down and inside out ever since the lady had arrived in town.
Not in town
. She was living and sleeping on his ranch, damn it. And it was slowly driving him insane. He wanted her so badly, his teeth hurt. But he could never have her. She was the enemy. She was in charge of the drilling on his land.

Taking a deep breath, he gave his horse the lead again. He would go with Jessie to the drilling site. He told himself it had nothing to do with his ridiculous desire for Gillian. He was protecting his ranch and that was all there was to it.

CHAPTER FOUR

After lunch, Dallas drove Jessie to the drilling site. He had never actually set foot on the site, although he occasionally rode the fence line adjacent to the operation, herding cattle and repairing barbed wire.

Following the gravel road Copper River Oil had cut through his pasture, he gripped the steering wheel in tight fists. This was the first time he was actually seeing the damage done to his land up close and personal. They said they would restore everything when they finished. But it would never be the same. He popped an antacid in his mouth as he pulled in front of the office trailer. Would the nightmare never end?

Jessie sighed deeply, looking sad. "I'm so sorry, Dallas. I don't blame you for being angry with me. I'm angry at myself, except I really had no choice. I couldn't lose my garage. I needed that money." She looked at him and sniffed, then opened the truck door and climbed out.