The Reluctant Rancher (21 page)

Luke shrugged
, but said
nothing.
 
Despite his miserly reputation, he knew his duty to the commun
ity, but that wasn’t the reason he was here.
He looked around for Mary. When he saw her
in the distance, he relaxed.
 
He’d kept one eye on his work and one eye on her the entire night.

“
I’ve got just one more small favor to ask,
”
Mark continued.
 
”
I need some place to take these people.
 
None of them want to make the long trip to
Newport
.
 
I thought you and a couple of the other ranchers could put them up in your bunkhouses and barns.
”

“
Is that all?
How about I butcher a cow or two and we set up a barbecue?
”

“
Well, that’s a good idea
.”
Mark grinned,
seemingly
unperturbed by Luke’s sarcastic tone.
 
“
I bet Rooster would love to plan a little get together.
”

“
Don’t press your luck, bu
ddy.
”
He allowed himself a small grin. “
Rooster would-
”

Just then a shout sounded behind them.
 
“
Look out!
 
The levy’s about to go.
”

With those prop
hetic words, mass panic ensued.

Luke jumped to his feet
and s
hout
ed
Mary’s name
as people rushed by. Mary was not among them. Luke cursed and ran
down the portion of the levy still standing.
 
He moved from one mound of earth to another as the dirt collapsed beneath his feet.
He could hear men beh
ind him, but didn’t stop to see
who had followed.

“
Mary!
”
he shouted again.
 
”
Can you hear me?
”
 
She knelt a few
feet away, but already a large stream of water separated them.
 
Without any thought to his own safety, he started down the bank.

Mark pulled him back from the edge.
 
“
Ge
t a grip, man
.
”

“
Let me go.
 
I have to get to her.
”
 
Luke pushed the younger man away.

“
We’ll get her, but not like that.
 
Don’t make me slug you, pal,
”
Mark threatened
when Luke cursed him.
“
Here take this.
”

One of the other men shoved a piece of cable with a rope attached into his hand and he helped Luke secure it around his waist.
 
He
plunged into the swirling water and it took every ounce of his considerable strength to fight against the strong current.
 
It felt like years before he reached Mary.

“
You’ve got yourself in a pretty pickle now, haven’t you, sweetheart?
”
he joked shakily.
 
H
is heart stopped when he realized
she w
as buried in mud up to her waist
and sinking fast.

“
I thought the men could use some coffee.
 
They looked so cold.
 
But then the ground started moving.
”
Between the rain and the rushing waters, they had to shout to be heard.

“It’s okay, baby.” His hands
stroke
d
her matted hair before he set to work.
 
A
s fast as he cleared the dirt away,
more fell in, keeping her trapped.
Growling in frustration
,
h
e ordered her t
o put her arms around his neck.
For once Mary obeyed with out question
and lifted her mud-caked arms. He braced himself as best he could and pulled
with an almighty tug.
She broke free.

“
Let’s get you out of here.
”
He r
emov
ed the rope from his
waist and t
ied
it around
Mary’s
.
He was not surprised to note that his hands
shook
with fear
.
By the time he had them on solid ground they trembled from the exertion.

“
Doc
Logan
is ready to check her over.
”
Mark helped them from the water.

“
I’m fine,” Mary assured him.

“
Then let’s get out of here,
”
the preacher ordered.
 
”
Everyone else is safely out of harm's way.
”

Luke wasted no time
in
taking Mark’s advice and hurried Mary to his truck.
 
In the cab the heat rose from their bodies and mixed
with the cold air.
 
Droplets of moistu
re clung to the inside of
window
s
, cocooning them inside.

Luke
’s
fretful gaze wandered over Mary as she
leaned agains
t the seat and closed her eyes.

“C
ould you take me to my office?
I need to pick up my car.
”
She spoke without looking at him.

“
That’s it woman.
 
That’s the last straw
,” he bit out savagely and p
ound
ed
his fists against the steering wheel.
 
“
You almost drowned in the flood water about to wash away the town and the only thing you can think about is that clunker of a car that should have been scrapped years ago.
”

H
e hauled her in his arms.
 
He needed to hold her.
 
To love her.
 
To surround himself in her presence.

“Yo
u’re going back to the ranch.
 
Your damn
ed car can drown for all I care.” He was
surprised to hear the crack in his voice.

“
I don’t think cars can drown
.” He h
eard the laughter in her voice. H
er small hand reach
ed
up to soothe a lock of wet hair from his brow.
 
His Stetson had been lost in the river.

He glared at her
. “Yo
u’re not mocking me now are you, sugar?
”

He nuzzl
ed
the exposed length of her alabaster skin.
 
Taking several long deep breaths, he savored the smell of her skin.

“
You know I’d never do that.
”
S
he arched her
back and t
he
burgeoning fullness of her breasts
pressed aga
in
s
t
the solid surface of his chest.

H
e low
ered his head and took
her mouth with primitive male force.
 
Giving her no opportunity to respond or encourage, he simply kissed her.

He wanted to ravage her mouth and body, feel his tongue mating with hers.
 
Hell, he wanted to yank her clothes off and take her right there on the front seat of his truck.

Instead
he reigned in his rage and
he ran his tongue across the fullness of her lips
. He gave
her the tenderness he knew she needed.
 
His body still trembled from the past few minutes.
 
The woman in his arms meant more to him than he cared to admit.
 
Especially to himself.

H
e strove to control the desire she could so easily arouse.
 
This was neither the time nor place.
 
Mary needed a warm bath and hot meal.
 
They both did.
 
He placed
her back on her s
ide of the truck and
s
tarted the engine. They were going home
.

* * * * *

“
What’s going on?
 
I’ve called all over the county looked for you.
”
 
Joseph threw open the door and
urged the wet,
bedraggled figures inside. T
he war
mth
welcomed them like a long lost friend.

“
Mary had a little accident,
”
Luke explained as he climbed up the stairs with her in his arms.
 
“
She needs a hot bath.
”

“
Does she need a doctor?
”

Luke read the worry on his grandfather’s face and hastened to reassure him.
 
“
Once we get her warmed up she’ll be fine.
 
Mark’s bringing some of the townspeople over.
 
You’d better go warn Rooster and the boys.
”

“
Luke, put me down this instant,
”
Mary protested once Joseph had gone to do his bidding.
 
“
I can walk.
”

“
Just be quiet,
”
he ordered, his tone tightly controlled.
 
He took the stairs two at a time until he reached his bathroom.
 
Setting her on her feet, he bent beside the large marble tub
and adjusted
the temperature of the wat
er
.
 
Satisfied, he rose to his feet and faced
Mary.
 
He reached for
her
sodden clothes
.

“
Now, wait just a minute.
”
Her teeth chattered as she fought him.
“
Stop that this instant.
”

The frantic note in her voice stopped him, but just barely.
 
“
I need to, Mary.
 
I need to make sure you’re all right.
”

“
Luke, I can’t.
 
Please don’t ask me.
”
Her gray eyes beseeched him to understand
that
she wasn’t read
y to
fully
reveal herself to his eyes,
and on a certain level he did.
 
But on the more primitive, possessive level
, he wanted to ignore her feelings and rip her clothes away.

“
Why, Mary? Why won’t you let me see you?
I’ve touched you, darling.
 
I’ve held you in my arms all night long.
 
I’ve loved you.
Why can’t I look at you?
”

“
Because
.” She bent her head, refusing to meet his eyes.

“
Because why?
”
Luke
soothed
her as he would a high strung fill
y. He stroked her hair and pulled her closer
.
 
“
Because, I might see something I don’t like?
 
That you might not be as perfect as I think you are?
”

She hit him
on the chest and leaned into him
.
 
“
I’m not perfect, Luke, you know that as well as I do.
”

“
Yes, Mary, I do.
 
I also know I’m not perfect either.
 
Do you think it was easy running around without a shirt last night?
 
I know I don’t have the body of a twenty-year old anymore.
 
And…
”
He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.