A Moment To Love (18 page)

“I wish things were different.” Her voice was soft, drawing him closer. “I’d love it if you and I could start over.”

“Let’s start over right here and now.” His head dipped to hers. His lips brushed over hers, tentatively at first. He didn’t want to scare her away.

His fingers slid up the velvetiness of her neck. His thumb brushed over her warmed cheek. She was the most amazing woman he’d ever known, and he never wanted to let her go. He deepened the kiss, and she responded. Her tongue met his.

Her hands slid up over his shoulders. His heart thump-thumped against his ribs. Her fingertips dipped beneath his shirt color. His head started to drown in the most delicious sensations. The one thing he did know was that, in this moment, he wanted this—being with Lexi—more than anything in his life.

And that wasn’t going to happen.

He shouldn’t be doing this. One or both of them would end up getting hurt. Before he could pull away, she leaned against him. Her soft curves pressed to his hard muscles. The pleasure center of his brain took the driver’s seat. His hands slid down her back, and before he knew it, her legs were wrapped around his waist. Logic and reason fled his mind.

A deep, guttural moan filled his throat. He’d never wanted anyone this much. He wanted more of her kisses—more of her. He didn’t know if he’d ever get enough of Lexi. Her shirt rose up, and his fingers spanned her tender flesh. He must have tickled her, because she jumped.

She moved her mouth from his. She rested her forehead against his as they both tried to calm their breathing. “We can’t do this. Not here.”

“You’re right.” Still, he wasn’t ready to let her go. Not yet. “But you know you want more, don’t you?” His fingers moved over her waist, and he felt the rush of goose bumps.

“Cord! You’re impossible.” She smiled, and it lip up her whole face.

He leaned in close and pressed his mouth to her neck, hoping to prove a point. His lips slowly trailed down to her collarbone. The rapid pulse of her artery let him know that she was enjoying this momentary lapse of judgment as much as he was. If only they were back at his place and not in the middle of this rugged terrain, he’d show her how good they could be together.

Lexi pulled back. “Cord, we have to stop.”

With his mouth a fraction of an inch from hers, he asked, “Why?”

“Because neither of us is thinking clearly.” She pulled away. “Even if I gave up my pursuit of purchasing the ghost town, we still couldn’t be together. My business isn’t here. It’s in New York. Did you ever consider what I’m supposed to do if you and I start something? Do you expect me to abandon my father when he needs me most?”

Cord pressed his now-empty hands to his sides before kicking a stone, sending it rolling along the clay earth. “You can’t deny that there’s something going on between us. We owe it to each other to see where it leads.”

“And what about everything else? Like the town meeting where we’ll be on opposite sides?”

“I didn’t say it’d be easy.”

“Say we find a way to get past all of that. What happens when it’s time for me to return to New York?”

His gaze met and held hers. Why was she making this so difficult? He’d never claimed to have all of the answers. But he was willing to search for them with her. “Who knows? You might be sick of me by then and be thrilled to leave here.”

She frowned at him. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. We should head back.”

“Before we go, I want you to know I was serious about having you as my neighbor.” He took her hand in his and stroked the pad of his thumb over her silky smooth skin. “Think of all the benefits there’d be by living so close.”

Her pupils dilated as her gaze dipped. “You don’t know how tempting your offer is…but I can’t.”

“Because of the resort?”

She nodded.

He pulled his head away. Frustration knotted up his gut. “Why are you so dead set on making this deal?”

She leaned back against the rock. “HSG was in the middle of some big negotiations when my father collapsed. Those deals went belly-up, and we lost a bundle. This project is our last chance to turn things around. My father doesn’t know any of this yet. I’ve been covering everything up, hoping to nail down this Wild West resort before he returns to the office. If something were to happen to HSG, I don’t know if his heart could handle the strain.”

This revelation stunned Cord. From her confident attitude to her tailored suits and diamond stud earrings, she oozed success. Yet, her company’s entire future rested on him and his land. His stomach churned.

“I’m sorry for your predicament, but my family’s land can’t be your only solution. Sell your investors on another site. Tell them anything to get that glitzy playground for the rich built somewhere else.”

“I’m trying, but so far Haggerty is our only viable option.”

Not knowing what else to say, he turned away. “You’re right. We should start back.”

He took off down the narrow path without waiting for her to answer. He led them along the narrow trail at a steady pace. A glance over his shoulder showed that she was right behind him. A half hour later, they returned to the horses. She sucked in one mouthful of oxygen after another. He regretted the pace he’d set. In his desire to burn off his frustration, he hadn’t considered that she might not be used to this kind of exercise.

When she caught her breath, she said, “I didn’t mean to upset you back there. I thought maybe if you understood the position I’m in—”

“You didn’t upset me.” He met her worried gaze. “I just can’t give up that land.”

“Even if it means you lose everything? Will sacrificing your home ease your conscience about not being able to protect Haggerty? Is it some sort of penance you feel you must pay?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” His tone was short and clipped.

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say a word.

The fact that she’d gotten so close to the truth shook him. How had she figured him out in such a short amount of time? It was almost as if she could read his mind. He didn’t know if this special sort of bond they shared made any of this better or worse. He was becoming increasingly confused with each passing moment.

She’d turned to her horse when Cord reached out, grabbing her hand and pulling her back to him. The pain in her eyes bore clear through to his soul with such force that it knocked the breath from his lungs.

Her lips pursed together as though she held back something. A silent moment passed before she uttered, “I didn’t come out here to fight with you.”

“What was the reason?”

“I wanted a chance to be with you and see this land through your eyes. Never mind, it doesn’t matter now. You’re too stubborn to listen to reason.” With a huff, she turned back to Blaze.

Cord longed to believe her. The glimpse of her tender, caring side had only increased his attraction to her. Was she being honest with him? He’d been lied to before by a woman who’d professed to love him forever. He didn’t exactly trust his own judgment these days when it came to women.

Was it possible Lexi was a dutiful daughter stuck in an impossible situation? Nothing more?

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

T
wo days later, the shower pulsated off Alexis’s sore muscles, muscles she’d abused by leaning over the little desk in her motel room for far, far too long. She’d endeavored to find a solution that would make everyone happy. The hot water soothed her stiffness. For all of her efforts, she still hadn’t come up with an all-encompassing solution.

It didn’t help that Cord’s sexy image kept filling her mind. Every time she recalled the kiss they’d shared at the canyon and the way his fingers had brushed over her bare skin, it sent her heart racing. The steam from the shower swirled around as the memories of Cord crowded in. She groaned in frustration. Why did she have to meet him now when her life was so complicated?

She considered the idea of giving up the fight and letting herself fall head over heels for this rugged cowboy. Drawn to the thought like a cat to milk, she toyed with the thought of how to make it work. What would a cowboy do in a big city? Modeling work. He was cute enough. Most definitely. But a man used to working the land would be miserable in front of the camera. And how could she move to New Mexico and leave her sick father when he needed her most? The answer was, she couldn’t—she wouldn’t.

So what did that leave for her and Cord? A long-distance relationship? Alexis’s nose scrunched up. She’d been there and done that. The results had been disastrous for her heart. Even though Cord wasn’t anything like Steven, she still wasn’t going to set herself up to be hurt again. No matter how much she liked him—dare she admit it, cared for him—they didn’t have a chance of making this thing between them work.

The chime of classical music sounded from her phone on the edge of the sink. She hurried to rinse off and get dressed. After running a brush through her wet hair, she called her father back.

“Hi. What do you need?”

“Did you get the sales agreement signed?”

Not a
Hi. How are you?
or even a
Good morning
. Instead, her father was already talking business. But then again, he had no idea how much this deal was costing her and how her heart was being torn in half. And there was no way she was going to explain it to him. She could only imagine how it’d make his blood pressure spike.

She sighed. “I’m getting ready right now to head out to the Brazen H.”

“Quit stalling.” His voice took on an agitated tone. “You should have had his signature days ago. What is going on out there?”

“I went horseback riding the other day,” she said, still pleased with herself for getting back in the saddle.

“You what? You aren’t out there for a vacation. And you certainly don’t need to be taking foolish risks when there’s a huge deal in the works. What’s that man up to? Is he wining and dining you, hoping to get a better offer?”

“Cord isn’t like that.” She wasn’t going to let her father tarnish her accomplishment. “Aren’t you even pleased that I got back on a horse again?”

“Alexis, I never thought of you as a coward. You’re a strong, intelligent woman who can do whatever you set your mind to, even if it includes horseback riding.”

This was her opening, a chance to ask a question that had lain dormant for years. “Then why did you sell Black Beauty?”

“I don’t want to discuss that horse. We settled this years ago.”

“We never settled anything. You announced he was sold, but you refused to talk about it.”

Her father sighed. “You aren’t going to let this subject drop, are you? You have that determined tone to your voice.”

“I need to know. I need to understand why you took away the horse I loved.”

A strained silence ensued. “The day of your accident, I…I’d never been so scared in my life. You were still my little girl, and I wanted to protect you.” His voice grew deep and gravelly with emotion. “I probably overreacted…okay, I did overreact by selling your horse, but I couldn’t take the chance of losing you. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

Her heart swelled with love. Her father rarely ever talked about emotions, and for him to do so now moved her greatly. “Oh, Father, you’ll never lose me. I promise.”

“Ah, daughter, don’t make promises you can’t keep. You’re grown up now. Sooner or later, you’ll find the right guy and things will change. Things always change.”

Did he suspect something between her and Cord? Impossible. There was no way he could know what all had transpired between her and Cord. Her father continued talking while her thoughts spiraled back to that last toe-curling kiss. If they’d been somewhere more comfortable, she had no doubt things would have gone further—much further. But would that have been a wise decision? Perhaps not. Okay, definitely not. But at that moment, would that have stopped her? Heck no.

“Alexis, are you listening to me?”

“Um…yes.” Thank goodness they were on the phone, because it’d take her father only one look to know she was lying. “Father, you should take some of your own advice. It’s time you make some changes. You can’t go back to your crazy work schedule. Your body needs a slower pace.”

“I’m not ready to be put out to pasture. My mind is still sharp as a tack.”

She couldn’t argue. That’s why she’d made sure to keep him away from the office. It wouldn’t take him long to figure out the business was in trouble—serious trouble.

Her throat tightened, and she hoped her voice would sound normal. “Retirement doesn’t mean you have to stop living. It means you’ll have more time for hobbies. There are a million things you could try. It’s time you seriously consider what the doctors have been telling you. I don’t want to lose you either.”

“I hear you.” His voice suddenly sounded like that of an old man, something she never considered him. “Doesn’t mean I have to be excited about the future.”

“We’ll be okay,” she said, encouraged that he hadn’t outright rejected the idea of retiring. “Change will only make us stronger. Now I’m off to talk to a rancher about some land.”

With the town meeting not far off, she was running out of time to reason with Cord before the entire community was involved. In order to finalize this deal, she had to keep their interaction purely business. She wouldn’t let herself get distracted by the temptation of his persuasive lips or magical fingers.

Who did she think she was kidding?

Alexis hadn’t seen Cord in more than forty-eight long hours, and she’d barely thought of anything but saving the Brazen H and helping her favorite cowboy. She’d spent every waking moment of the last two days splitting her time between revamping her presentation to the town and researching an alternative site for the resort. Her presentation was almost complete.

She rushed to get ready to go see Cord, all the while going over everything in her head. The Arizona property had potential, but the owners weren’t exactly jumping to sell. However, the paper she’d signed for Cord’s bank remained valid for only forty-eight more hours—then the wheels of foreclosure would kick into gear.

In no time, she was driving toward the Brazen H. She could no longer go with her original approach to get the town to pressure Cord into selling to her. She’d already witnessed his difficulties with some of the town’s residents. She didn’t want to make him feel even more ostracized. And it was more important than ever that Cord be at the meeting. She wanted to show him that she was on his side and trying every which way to save his land and her company. After all, it didn’t have to be Christmastime for miracles to happen, did it?

She pulled her rental vehicle to a stop by Cord’s weathered barn. She didn’t even waste her time checking the house. He wouldn’t be there when there was work to be done. But with a sprawling ranch, Cord could be anywhere.

A young ranch hand stepped out of the barn. He was tall and lanky. Her guess would be that he had just graduated high school. When his gaze caught hers, surprise reflected in his eyes. She’d been around the Brazen H long enough to realize they didn’t entertain many guests here.

She approached the young man. “Hi. Do you know where I can find Cord?”

“You the woman that wants to buy his land?” His face was devoid of emotion, so she wasn’t sure what reaction to expect from him.

“Yes. I’m Alexis Greer.” She held out her hand.

The young man pulled off his gloves, rubbed his palm over his faded jeans, and then shook her hand. “I’m Jesse.”

“Nice to meet you, Jesse.” She smiled, but he didn’t return the gesture.

He stared at her as though trying to make up his mind about her. If this kid was having such a hard time trying to decide if he should give her the benefit of the doubt, no wonder Cord was so hesitant around her.

Jesse stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You’re going to be talking at the town meeting tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am. I hope you’ll be there.”

His brows gathered. “Are you gonna turn the town against Cord in order to get his land? ‘Cause he doesn’t deserve it. He’s a good guy.”

“I promise I don’t plan to make things worse for Cord. I’d like to help him if I can. Do you know where he is?”

Jesse nodded.

“Would you mind telling me?”

He shrugged. “Cord just took off for the western pasture to check on the cattle. He won’t be back for a while.”

She knew she should leave and come back later, but she didn’t want to—not until she talked things out with Cord. “Mind if I wait for him?”

Jesse shrugged again. “Suit yourself.”

He strode back into the barn, leaving Alexis alone with her thoughts. There was another reason she needed to see Cord, and it had nothing to do with the land. Before her nerve failed her, they needed to have an honest conversation about what happened in the desert. Cord had to understand her feelings for him were real and that they had absolutely nothing to do with whether he sold her the land or not.

For the first time in her life, she longed to toss aside her cautious tendencies. She wanted to live in the moment and savor more of Cord’s spine-tingling kisses—more of all of him.

After their hike, she’d waited for him to think things through and understand her situation. He was a reasonable guy and would understand her need to do what was best for her father. For the last two days, she’d willed the phone to ring, but he hadn’t called for any reason. Either he was nursing a bruised ego, or he was as confused as she was about where they went from here.

Unable to sit still, she paced across the lengthy porch, waiting for her cowboy—um, Cord to appear on the distant horizon. Seconds soon turned into a half hour. She needed something productive to do with herself to avoid becoming a ball of nerves.

Then a thought came to her, a way to soften him up. She recalled their conversation at the canyon about how he’d like to come home to her and a hot meal. In that moment, she wanted to be the woman be envisioned sharing his evening meals with while catching up on the day’s events.

Her chest warmed at the thought of the surprise in his eyes and the smile on his handsome face. Anticipation fluttered in her stomach. Toss in a little of the wine she’d spotted in the kitchen and some casual conversation, and it’d be a perfect evening.

However, where exactly did she want this evening to go? She knew it should end with a tactful business meeting, but another part of her was eager for something more personal. They may not have forever, so why not make the most of the here and now?

She knew she was getting way ahead of herself. She didn’t know how Cord would react to seeing her again, specifically with the town meeting literally on the horizon. And that wasn’t the only problem with her plan. She hadn’t exaggerated about her lack of experience behind the stove. Her idea of taking care of dinner usually consisted of ordering takeout.

Unwilling to give up, she knew she’d need help if she was going to make this meal a success. A recipe book would be a good start. Would a cowboy have such a thing? Probably not. But with the way he clung to the past, she’d bet he still had his mother’s recipes.

She rushed into the kitchen and scanned the tidy counter tops. No books. She glanced in the cabinet drawers. No recipes there either. She was about to give up when she spotted a little rack of books atop the fridge.

She grabbed the first cookbook and flipped it open. She soon decided a casserole sounded the easiest. Mix everything up, toss it in a dish, and shove it in the oven. Even she could do that…she hoped.

Through a process of elimination, she settled on a taco casserole. It didn’t sound so hard, and it had a Southwest flair. Who didn’t love tacos? No one she knew.

She set to work, quickly learning that cooking kept you on your toes. Stirring this, chopping that, and mixing something else, but at last she got everything in the baking dish. She grinned like a little kid as she slid her creation into the oven, making sure to double-check the temperature.

She turned around, horrified at the mess she’d made of Cord’s kitchen. Where had she gone wrong? Weren’t casseroles supposed to be easy? She wiped her arm across her damp brow. If so, why in the world did she have so many dishes to clean?

She loaded up the sink with a fistful of utensils, a stack of bowls, a skillet, and a couple of cutting boards. The trick would be to get it all cleaned up before he got home. She turned on the hot water and set to work.