Don't Tell Me You Love Me (Destiny Bay Romances~The Ranchers Book 6) (6 page)

“Johnny, he’s not a cocker spaniel,” Cheyenne hissed at him, coming forward to join them. “You don’t have to scratch him behind the ears.”

“Too bad he’s not a dog,” he said, straightening and looking down at the tyke, his mouth twisted with frustration. “Then I’d know what to do with him.”

“Zach,” she said, going down on one knee to meet him at his eye level. “Look up, honey. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Still staring down at the ground, Zachary shook his head.
 

Cheyenne frowned, puzzled. This wasn’t like her usually engaging child. “Zach, come on. This is an old friend of mine. His name is Johnny. He likes horses.” She smiled and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. “When we were young, he had a horse named Silver. Just like the Lone Ranger.”

Zachary’s shoulders scrunched down over his task. He was washing leaves toward the pond and it seemed to be a job that required all his attention. Sighing, she rose and backed away, and gesturing for Johnny to try one more time.
 

He didn’t want to. In fact, he had a lot of empathy for the kid’s position. Why should he have to bother with some strange man he’d never seen before? But he would try again, just for Cheyenne.
 

“Hey, Zachary,” he began, stepping forward.
 

He never got any further. Startled to hear him so close again, Zachary turned, and when he did, the hose came with him, pointed right at Johnny. Silver water sprayed from his belt buckle to his boots, soaking him in the half second before he yelled and jumped away.
 

Cheyenne cried out, jumping back as well. Zachary’s mouth dropped open in surprise. Gina let out a cry and began to run toward him. The ducks took off into the air with a great flapping of wings and quacking of bills. Johnny swore, looking down at the damage, then looked back up and saw a very different look on Zachary’s face. As he watched in amazement, the kid did it again. The water gave him another soaking. Only this time, it was obviously on purpose.
 

“Hey!” Johnny yelled, lunging forward to grab the hose from Zachary.
 

“No, Zach!” Cheyenne called out at the same time, lunging for it too.
 

“Zachary, stop!” Gina cried, flinging herself into the mix.
 

The ducks gave them all disgusted looks and took off for parts unknown.
 

It took a few minutes to sort things out. Cheyenne and Gina had a few damp spots, but Johnny had taken the full force of the water, and he was pretty nearly soaked. Zachary had muddy hands, but little other evidence of the meFrank. But when his gaze met Johnny’s there was a clear sense of defiance in his eyes.
 

Gina took charge of Zach as Cheyenne began to lead Johnny toward the house to find a towel, apologizing all the way.
 

“I…listen, Johnny, I’m sorry. He’s never done anything like that before. I…I just don’t know…” Laughter was bubbling up in her throat and she couldn’t keep it back any longer.
 

He shrugged, wiping his face with his handkerchief, glancing back at where the little boy sat while Gina washed his hands.
 

“He hates me,” he announced matter-of-factly.
 

“Oh no,” she insisted, losing the laughter as she opened the door to the kitchen. “No, it was an accident….”

“Are you kidding? Didn’t you see the gleam in his eye? He hates me.” He gazed at her speculatively as she began to dab at his wet spots with a kitchen towel. “How do you suppose he knows?” he asked her softly.
 

“Knows what?” she responded, being obtuse on purpose. “You’d better get out of that shirt. I can run it through the dryer.” She frowned at his thoroughly soaked pants, but didn’t suggest he shed those as well, and neither did he.
 

He shrugged out of the shirt and handed it to her. She took it and turned away, but the picture he made stuck with her no matter how hard she tried not to let it. His body was hard and thicker than she remembered him, and his muscles rippled when he moved in a way that made her mouth go dry. She worked busily with the knobs and levers of the dryer, but the heat that was flooding her cheeks didn’t come from the appliance.

 
“You know,” he went on, still mulling over what had just happened. “I didn’t expect him to welcome me with open arms. I’ve never been much of a kid person. But I really didn’t expect him to despise me.”
 

She looked at his face and gave him a look, then said casually, “You know what they say. Kids just have a natural instinct as to who people really are.” Ignoring his naked chest as best she could, she reached up and began to rub his wet hair firmly with the towel.
 

He pulled away and grabbed the towel from her, attacking the job himself. “I don’t know if you can go by that,” he responded, his voice muffled by the towel. “Dogs always like me.”

“Do they?” She leaned back against the counter as she watched him try to dry himself. “How do you know they don’t growl about you behind your back?”

He peeked out at her from under the towel. “You know, I’ve always wondered what that sound was as I was walking past….”

She laughed and he threw down the towel and reached for her. He didn’t think about it first. It came naturally, like reaching for water when you were thirsty. It came so naturally, that she didn’t think to stop him until his arms were around her and his lips were hovering just over hers…. And then it was so hard.
 

“No, Johnny,” she said, arching away from him. Her hand was pressed to his chest and he felt like heaven. But heaven had a “No trespassing” sign on it for her. “No, please…”

He straightened and let her go, watching as she turned from him rather than meet his gaze. His arms hung empty and useless at his sides.
 

She kept her back to him, leaning over the sink. “Johnny, you have to stop doing that. You know I’m getting married to another man.”

His head went back. “You’re not married yet.”

She turned and looked at him. His hair was a wild bramble, with some strands falling down over his eyes, and his tan flesh was slick and shiny and inviting. He could have been a Greek statue come to life. Had there ever been a sexier man?
 

Unconsciously, she put her hand over her heart, as though she could keep it from beating so fast that way. “No, I’m not quite married yet,” she told him firmly. “But I’m promised.”
 

He grunted and his mouth turned down at the corners. “You sound like something out of a Victorian novel,” he said. “Promised. What does that mean?”

“It means I’ve given my word.”

He stared at her for a moment, then groaned and turned away. “You and your promises. Haven’t you ever broken a promise?”

“No. Not that I know of.”

He turned back and looked at her, his silver eyes smoldering. “You should try it sometime. It would give you a whole new outlook on life.”

She turned away without answering, and he said softly, “I called you once from a pay phone in Hong Kong.”
 

She looked back at him in surprise. “You did?”

He nodded. “It was New Year’s Eve.”

She shrugged, palms open. “I didn’t know.”

“No. Frank answered and I hung up.” He took a deep breath and looked out the kitchen window at the breeze in the tops of the trees at the curve in the road. “I lost my nerve. I really didn’t have anything to say anyway.” He looked back at her and added softly, ”It was like I didn’t know English anymore when he answered.”

She wanted to touch him so badly, it ached inside her. “I wish I’d known. I wish you’d said something.”

He was quiet for a moment, contemplating the wall. “Has he been living here with you?” He turned his head back and met her gaze, waiting for her answer.
 

She shook her head and didn’t waver. “No,” she said, firmly and clearly.
 

He looked away again. He couldn’t let her see how relieved he was to hear that. After all, it was none of his business. None of his business. Not his affair. But deep inside, he rejoiced.
 

The kitchen door opened and Zachary came in, trailing a determined looking Gina.
 

“We need a bathroom break,” she told Cheyenne as they swept through. “I think he said he needs to find his elephant—but maybe he meant something else.” She shrugged and smiled as they left the room. “I guess I’ll find out what it is when we get there,” she called back over her shoulder as she disappeared through the doorway.
 

Johnny turned and met her eyes. “Did you see that?” he demanded. “Did you see the way he looked at me as he went through? He hates me.”

She didn’t deny it this time. She’d seen the look in Zach’s baby-blue eyes. Where in the world could it have come from? She’d never known him to do anything like this before. Could she have communicated something to him subconsciously? She was sure she’d never said anything against Johnny in Zach’s hearing. But what if he could sense something?
 

“I’d better go,” she murmured, moving toward the doorway herself. “I think I know what he means by his ‘elephant’. I’ll be right back.”

He watched her leave the room. He could enjoy watching her do just about anything. But she’d barely disappeared when the kitchen door opened again and Frank walked into the room. Johnny straightened from where he’d been leaning against the counter. It was the first time the two of them had actually come face to face since he’d come back. There was no telling how this was going to go.

Chapter Six

Their gazes locked and for just a moment, Johnny could have sworn he saw panic in the other man’s eyes. He looked back, as though to make sure the way out was still clear, should he need it. Then he tried to smile. Johnny had to make a decision. He made it with Cheyenne in mind. What he wanted most of all was to make things easy for her.
 

“Frank,” he said, going toward the man with his hand outstretched. “Good to see you.”

Frank shook hands automatically, his gaze travelling over Johnny’s naked torso as though he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. “Sure,” he said, nodding vigorously. “Great to see you. Just great.”

They dropped the grip they’d had on each other and each stepped back so that the space between them could be maintained.
 

Johnny managed a stiff smile. “So, how’s the real estate empire going these days?” he asked him.
 

“Great.” Frank was still nodding. “Just great. Real estate out here in the valley is booming. Sales are through the roof.”

“Good. Glad to hear that.”

There was an awkward pause. Frank looked as though he wanted to escape, but he conjured up something to say instead. “So, are you going to be here long?”

Johnny hesitated. “No,” he said slowly. “Not long. I don’t think so, anyway.” He smiled. “How about you?”

“Me?” Frank looked startled. “I’m always here.”

Johnny nodded. “That’s right,” he said dryly. “You’re a man people can depend on. Always have been.”

Frank looked like he was going to answer that, but then his face changed and he gave way to a puzzled frown. “Look, I’ve got to ask. What the hell is going on? Why are you all wet?”

“Oh. Sorry, I should have explained. Zachary got me with the hose.” He had to grin now, remembering the commotion. “Yep, he sprayed me from head to foot. The little dickens.”

Frank still didn’t look as though he quite understood, but he wasn’t going to say so. “He’s a great little boy.”

“Oh yeah. I’m sure that he is.” He had to be. Didn’t everyone say so? “I really regret that I haven’t been around for him. I think I ought to get to know him.” He looked at Frank and gave in to the impulse to poke at him a little. “In fact, I’m thinking of taking care of him while you two are on your honeymoon.”

“Oh.” If he’d expected an outraged reaction, he was disappointed. Frank merely shrugged. “Sounds like a great idea.”

Johnny raised one eyebrow. If he didn’t watch out, he might actually end up with the kid. “You wouldn’t mind?”

“No. Why should I? He’s your son.”

His son. The words echoed, bouncing around in his head. His son. He couldn’t get used to the idea. Suddenly he wanted nothing so much as to get on a horse and ride to hell and back. He couldn’t wait for Cheyenne to finish looking for Zach’s elephant. He had to get out of here. He stepped over to the dryer and pulled open the door, reaching for his still damp shirt. He had to go, and the shirt would have to come with him, ready or not.
 

But Frank had gone on to another topic and he was looking worried about it. “It’s a good thing I found you here,” he said, shifting his weight restlessly from one foot to the other. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about…well, about my marrying Cheyenne.” He folded his arms across his chest and gave Johnny a piercing look. “I’ve always loved her, you know. I don’t have that passion in me that you have. I know we’ll never have anything like that thing the two of you had going for awhile.”
 

Johnny was pulling his shirt on, tugging on it when it tried to cling to his damp skin. He wanted to get out of here. Frank might feel like talking the situation over, but he didn’t. When he turned to look at the man, it seemed that Frank was standing a little taller, and definitely prouder, and straightening his shoulders as he went on with his soliloquy.
 

“But Cheyenne’s older now. She’s grown up. She’s taken on her responsibilities. She doesn’t need that kid stuff any more.”

Johnny winced, but he’d just buttoned the last button and he didn’t have to stay any longer. He turned to go.

“She needs someone to take charge and take good care of her and the boy,” Frank was saying. “And I’m willing to do that.” His chest seemed to swell with the pride of it all. “I promised her father I would take care of her, and I’m going to keep my promise.”

Promises, promises. Johnny didn’t know whether he wanted to hit him in the jaw or burst out laughing, and he carefully didn’t do either. “So Bob’s getting his way after all,” he murmured instead, turning back to gaze at the man.