Cougar in Texas: 3 (Rugged and Risque) (17 page)

“It is a B&B, if you’ll recall.”

“Yeah? Exactly what kind of services are you renderin’ there, sugar?”

Without a second thought, she grabbed the glass from the table and threw the water in his face. Of course, every gaze in the restaurant flashed to them as Tommy sputtered and fumed.

Reese collected her purse and the paper. Standing, she glared at her moronic ex and said, “This is the absolute end.
No more
. You have no right to be watching me or gossiping about me. If you can’t handle me moving on with Caleb, then you ought to find yourself another town. We are through, Tommy. From this moment on, you are just a mistake I once made. A distant,
distant
memory.”

At the end of her diatribe, the diner fell silent. Until a slow clap pierced the quiet, followed by another, and another. Reese whirled around to find her friends and neighbors applauding the backbone she’d demonstrated. Some of them even stood.

She smiled, grateful for their support.

Feeling quite pleased with herself, she pulled some bills from her wallet and handed them to Melodie. “Sorry about the mess. This should cover my breakfast.”

“Oh, no,” she said with admiration in her eyes. “The pancakes are on me.” Over her shoulder, she yelled to the cook, “Alan, box up the flapjacks for Reese!”

“Thanks.”

Melodie eyed Tommy and said, “And just so you know, the only mess I see is the one who’s not welcomed in this joint.” She turned sharply and retrieved Reese’s packaged breakfast, then went back to the counter to refill coffee cups.

Feeling as though she’d finally broken a vicious cycle and had effectively set the record straight, Reese left the diner. Word would spread, of course. There was no stopping it in this town. But it felt damn good to finally, publically say her piece.

Chapter Ten

“You’re going at those posts as if you’re trying to break through a concrete barrier,” Sam said. “It’s just dirt, bro.”

Caleb dropped the sledgehammer to the ground and surveyed his work as his chest heaved from exertion. “Shit.” He’d damn near pummeled the last ten or so poles into the soil. They were crooked as hell too.

Sam stopped working several posts away and joined Caleb. He wrapped his gloved hands around a column and twisted it as he lifted, to pull it back out of the earth it’d been driven into.

Satisfied with the height adjustment, he gazed at Caleb. “Somethin’ bothering ya?”

“The fact I have no idea what’s going through Reese’s mind right now.”

“You two didn’t talk last night?”

“No. She went to her room, I went to mine. She seemed withdrawn before she left me and I swear all I can think is that she’s wondering why she’d put herself in the position she was in. I certainly can’t blame her for that, can I?”

“She did fine last night. I watched. I listened. True, Judith and Dad are going to do whatever they can to get you to dump her for Missy, but you’re not under their thumbs, Caleb. Keep doing what
you
want to do.”

“I’ve always walked a fine line. So have you. To do what we believe is right without being disrespectful or acting as though we’re not grateful for what have. But just because our family has money doesn’t mean we have to be puppets. Especially at our ages.”

“Well, there you go.”

Caleb nodded. “Why do we continue to get caught up in this shit?”

“I don’t know. There are strong wills conspiring against us half the time and—”

Caleb’s cell rang and he assumed Sam tapered off his discussion, thinking it might be Reese. He dug the phone out of his back pocket and checked the caller ID.

With a groan, he said to his brother, “Mom.” He answered the call. “Good afternoon. Survived the party, I see.”

“Your father and I had too much champagne. Neither one of us got out of bed before noon.”

He chuckled. “You haven’t partied that much in a while.”

“We were both upset. I’ll have you know, champagne does nothing to take the sting out of your sons not loving you enough to believe we have their best interests at heart.”

Caleb sighed and rolled his eyes.
Here it comes.

“That’s hardly the case,” he said.

“Then why are you both doing this to us? It was bad enough trying to explain to everyone that you wanted to rescue horses instead of drill for oil. But to get Sam involved?”

“He’s a big boy. He knows what he’s doing.” He found it both amusing and annoying she sounded as though he’d conned his older, steadfast brother into a Ponzi scheme.

“And this woman you brought with you. What do you know about her, Caleb? Has she glommed onto you because of your money?”

The scales tipped in favor of annoyance. “I actually resent that, Mother. Had I not mentioned anything about the inn or that she owns a B&B, you would have been happy to include her in your club. But I know better. I know to be honest from the get-go. She went to a lot of trouble last night to fit in and to not embarrass you with her more simple style in front of all your friends. Quite frankly, she could have worn jeans and a sweater and she still would have been the only woman I had my eye on.”

A dramatic sigh ensued. “Are you sure you’re not doing all of this just to spite us?”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“Caleb, wait.” In a more maternal tone, she asked, “Won’t you come to dinner on Tuesday to celebrate the New Year? I’ve already made the reservations with the Burtons and Missy. It would be terribly rude of you not to join us. You didn’t even greet the Burtons last night and they feel deeply slighted.”

He doubted that. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but there’s a lot of work to be done here.” And back at the B&B. He needed to assess the situation with Reese and talk her out of breaking it off with him, if that was what she was contemplating.

“This is extremely important to me, Caleb. I don’t ask that often.”

Fighting back a groan, he said, “I’ll get back to you later this evening. I need to repair some fencing.”

“Fine. I’ll be expecting your call.”

He hit the disconnect button and returned the phone to his pocket.

Sam gave him a curious look. “What’s she up to now?”

“Dinner with the Burtons, Missy included.”

His brother whistled. “You take her up on that and she’ll have her hooks set in you. And I’m not just talking about Judith.”

“If I don’t go, she’ll keep plotting.”

Sam had to concede the point. “That is a true statement.”

“I need to think about this. Let’s fix this current catastrophe first,” he added as he reached for a post and adjusted it.

* * * * *

They ate dinner in town later that evening, where Caleb heard of Reese’s smackdown with Tommy.

Sam said, “See? She’s a tough girl.”

Ruby overhead them as she delivered two of Pietro’s specials. “You talking about Reese?”

Caleb nodded.

“That woman knows how to bounce back. She’s pure heart and anyone who messes with her going forward won’t be endearing himself to the rest of us.” She gave him a pointed look.

With a laugh, Caleb said, “You can be damn sure I’m not going to be on your list, Ruby. I’m nuts about her.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Caleb and Sam ate in silence, then Ruby returned. She handed over their check and a small box. “It’s Reese’s favorite. Raspberry swirl cheesecake. On me. Tell her I said ‘hell yeah’ to the way she put Tommy in his place this morning.”

“Ah, to have witnessed it,” Sam said. “I knew she was feisty when I met her.”

They left the restaurant and returned to the B&B. Though the sun had set, Sam told him he’d wash the trucks and Reese showed him where she kept the supplies in the shed. He volunteered to wash her car too.

As she settled at the table to enjoy her dessert, Caleb turned a chair around and straddled it.

He said, “I heard what happened at the diner. Everyone’s talking about how you publically confronted Tommy.”

“I didn’t have much to say, but it did take me too long to get around to telling him off.”

“I don’t know. Sometimes you have to reach the breaking point. Something snaps and you fully grasp you either have to take the bull by the horns or catch a tip in the ass.”

She laughed. “I have a few scars.”

“Yeah, me too.” He thought about the dinner his mother wanted him to attend, and something new occurred to him. “I think I’m being tested by my parents. They’re poking at me, as though they’re trying to see how serious I am about the ranch before they’ll accept my decision. And that likely holds true with Missy. If they keep thrusting her upon me and I bite out of courtesy, I’ll never be free of her.”

Reese set aside her fork. “Maybe you ought to give serious consideration to that relationship. You two go way back, as she said. And she’s a good fit for you.”

He speared her with a look. “Are you dumping me?”

She inhaled slowly, then blew out a long breath. She didn’t say anything for a few tense seconds and it made him anxious. He was about to do whatever he had to in order to talk some sense into her when she said, “I had it in my head last night on the way home that I’ve been fighting to hang on to things too much lately. This house. The antiques passed down from my family. My dignity. To tell you the truth, I’m tired of all the battles.”

He sighed. “I can understand that. Yet didn’t you feel even a small surge of power when you walked into my parents’ house and knew you looked as good as everyone else? Better, even? What about the way you handled yourself? I didn’t see slumped shoulders or a meek expression on your face. In fact, I never even saw uncertainty in your eyes. You evaluated the situation you were in and you acted appropriately. I respected you before the party, but afterward… Damn, Reese. You do not let anyone or anything get you down for long. As Ruby said earlier to me, you bounce back. That’s one of the many things I adore about you.”

“Caleb,” she said, “I’m not ever going to be high society or flamboyant or anything other than small town. Who I am suits me. If it’s not good enough for someone else…” She shrugged. “I’m not going to keep borrowing clothes from Liza to make an impression. I did it the first time, because I knew it was important. But now your parents know about me and they know who am I and what I do. So from here on out, I’m just going to be me.”

“That’s fine with me, darlin’. That’s all I’ve wanted for myself too. Remember?” He tapped his fingers on the table, then added, “But you still haven’t answered my question.”

She pushed her half-eaten cheesecake his way. “I can’t dump you just yet.” Her tense expression turned to a teasing one as she said, “We still have a couple condoms left.”

He ignored the dessert, kissing her instead. When they came up for a breath, he said, “You’re making me fall hard and fast.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

Giving some thought to this, he stepped off another cliff. “You know, I’m building a cottage nestled in the trees and overlooking the lake. If this house is grinding your nerves, you can move in with me. Sam’s building his own place. Maybe he’ll meet someone…”

“Or perhaps someone will come find him.”

Caleb’s brow raised. “You’re not thinking of matchmaking, are you?”

“No. But fate can sometimes lend a hand. I’ve recently learned that.”

He kissed her again, then said, “I have a plan for us. If you’re game.”

She nibbled her lip a moment, then shrugged. “I trust you.”

“Good. We’re going to dinner Tuesday night in Dallas. Put this whole fiasco behind us before it escalates.”

“You know what you’re doing?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

* * * * *

Reese was full of nervous anxiety as Caleb pulled his truck into the parking lot of the fancy restaurant his parents had chosen for the evening. He’d passed on use of the Lear in lieu of driving them the four hours. He’d also told her he’d booked a hotel room for them so they didn’t have to worry about heading back later in the evening.

She forced herself not to wring her hands as they were escorted to the private dining room at the back of the restaurant. Flowers and candles accented the intimate area reserved for the small party. Caleb and Missy’s parents were already seated, as was Missy. An empty chair remained.

Apprehension gripped Reese, particularly as everyone at the table stared at her, all clearly wondering what the hell she was doing there. And in black slacks and a silver, satin blouse, no less. They were all done up in dresses and suits.

Caleb was quick to jump in. “‘Evening, everyone. Mom, Dad, Missy—you remember Reese?” He turned to the Burtons. “I apologize for not introducing you to her at the party. I didn’t quite make the rounds. Family business and all. This is Reese Middleton from Wilder.”

He turned to Reese and said, “Harland and Eleanor Burton.”

“Lovely to meet you,” she said as they stood and she shook their hands. “And so nice to see all of you again.”

Caleb grabbed the maitre d’ before he left the room. “We’ll need two more place settings, if you don’t mind.” He asked Missy, “Your date will be joining us?”

“Caleb,” his mother ground out. “It was to be the six of us.”

Reese fought the natural compulsion to slink from the room.

He said, “You made it sound as though this was a couples’ dinner when we spoke on the phone.” He snaked an arm around Reese’s waist and said, “We
are
a couple. And Sam and I are rescuing horses in Wilder, regardless of what anyone has to say about it.”

He’d clearly proven his stance on both subjects, though it created even more tension in the private dining room.

Judith obviously wasn’t pleased but Jake seemed to look at his son with a hint of respect for standing up to everyone.

Endless moments ticked by, then Judith resigned herself to the situation. She said, “Henry, just one additional place setting, please.”

“Actually,” Missy said as she pushed her chair back. “You can have my seat, Reese. I just remembered I have somewhere to be.” She kissed both sets of parents on their cheeks, then rounded the table and approached Caleb. “I’m not interested in the animal shelter, and you are clearly not backing down from that idea.” She held her arms out as though in surrender. “And I most definitely do not belong in Wilder.”

She turned her attention on Reese. Leaning in, she whispered, “I’m starting to think you’ve saved me.” She winked, then said to everyone else, “Enjoy dinner!”

Missy swept out of the room with a dramatic flair, leaving the lingering scent of an expensive perfume.

The dining arrangements were uncomfortable, but a shift in the air made them tolerable. The Burtons actually inquired about Caleb’s progress at the ranch and his parents were shockingly impressed as they
finally
listened to him. Reese couldn’t have been happier, especially as Caleb moved in close and kissed her under the ear, in that special spot only he knew turned her on.