Last's Temptation (4 page)

“You are a male chauvinist.” She got off the sofa. “But a convincing kisser. You almost made me like you.”

He laughed softly, his gaze unconvinced by her fib. “And you don’t now?”

She crossed her arms. “No. I think you are delusional. By dawn’s light, I will forget that you are a macho opportunist and give you a ride home.”

“Give me a ride home?” His gaze watched her lazily.

“Yes. With your injuries, the only way you’re getting home is by airplane or with someone driving you. Speaking of your condition, I do believe you are using passion to get your mind off your pain. In no way are you fit enough to drive yourself to Texas, you faker.”

“So you’re saying you’re doing me a favor.”

“Absolutely,” she said stiffly. “And I’ll thank you not to forget it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He put his cowboy hat back on, grinning at her. She hated his know-it-all attitude. And his sure sexiness. Pursing her lips, she left the room, her heart and mind racing with so many emotions she had never before experienced that she didn’t know where to start to sort them out.

But she knew one thing for certain: she had to think of two little orphans before she thought of her own wayward heart. Curtis and Amelia were in a fragile, delicate situation. If the judge didn’t feel that Poppy was suitable for caring for them,
he would give those rights to her parents. As Last had noted, her parents were frail and elderly. Heaven forbid something should happen to them, but if it did, what would become of the children?

It would not do for her to become involved in a relationship now with a man who had no desire for his own family. He already had a complicated family and he had a phobia about acquiring more commitments in his life.

She actually understood his feelings. Before her sister’s death, she had always thought she would follow her own guiltless path of exploration.

Now the idea of taking that path felt almost self-centered. She should have helped her sister more when Beryl was alive. After her husband had left, to disappear for good, Poppy had figured Beryl’s life had probably improved. Her husband had been shiftless, never keeping a job for very long. Beryl had fallen for him in college, believing that he would make something of himself.

What he’d made of himself—and of their family, too—had been a mess. The children had seen things children should never see: fights and anger and deliberate misunderstandings. Fortunately they hadn’t seen him in at least three years.

Poppy shook her head. They were such good
kids. This time they would have someone who stood by them and who thought of them first. She would raise them the way Beryl would have wanted, and she vowed not to allow herself to be swept away by her own desires.

It was a mistake too many women—and men, as Last had so honestly admitted—made.

And, as he’d said, they were completely wrong for each other.

She would take him to this ranch he called Malfunction Junction—such an odd name for a home—and then she would determine whether it was a suitable place for children.

If it was, she would apply to become a teacher in one of the public schools. That way, she could build a reputation that was solid.

She would not kiss him again.

By morning, he would forget that it had ever happened, his injuries paining him as they must.

She shouldn’t have kissed him at all.

This was the case, despite the children. Last was a rogue, though a sweet one, and undeniably aware of his appeal. He was a bachelor to his core, she thought with a touch of disgust as she pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of loose pajama bottoms. “Which suits this bachelorette just fine. Be a bachelor all you
like.” Crawling into her bed, she sighed, enjoying the comfort she’d felt there since childhood.

“Excuse me.”

She shrieked.

Last stood inside her doorway.

“Yes?” she asked, jerking the covers to her chin.

He grinned, clearly aware of her discomfort. “So prim and proper.”

She raised her chin haughtily. “Thank you.”

“I just want you to know that I don’t mind being one of your many protective admirers. Maybe you’ll accept a marriage proposal yet, but it can never be from me.”

Jumping out of bed, she quickly pulled on a robe.

“Nice,” he said, “though the circus costume is better.”

“You must be feeling quite a bit better if you’re prowling the halls. Though you’re still suffering from a swollen ego,” she said. “And you’ve been quite clear on all marital matters. As if I care.”

He nodded, and suddenly the smile was gone. His eyes turned dark. “I shouldn’t have kissed you,” he said. “That’s what I came in here to say. I make a sincere promise not to do it again.”

Lovely. A man with more conscience than she possessed—and probably the strength to back it
up. “Fine,” she said. “I’m not exactly heartbroken, but I appreciate your burst of consideration.”

Nodding, he left.

“Butthead!” she murmured.

“I heard that,” he said, poking his head back into the room. “But I don’t mind since I know you’re under duress. Does your mother know you have such a potty mouth?”

She closed the door in his face and got back in bed. “As if I would fall for such an eighteenth-century throwback as Last Jefferson!”

Last did kiss like a dream. But he was definitely not the man for her little family.

“Butthead!” she muttered into her pillow, feeling quite satisfied that this time her admonishment had gone unheard by the cocky cowboy.

Four days later Last was feeling better. He had survived several days in a truck with two kids and a very quiet woman. His body pain was mostly gone, but he had noticed a distinct and annoying side effect: mental pain.

Esme’s withdrawal was bothering him. A lot.

He wanted to see her smile, hear her laugh. See her sparkle. Out of her natural conditions—and alone with him—he realized she simply did not feel like smiling.

Which was very odd, because women tended to smile a lot around him.

One more unsmiling face greeted him as he pulled up to Malfunction Junction. “Guests?” Mason asked.

“For a while.” Last helped the tired kids from the
truck. Esme got out and introduced herself to Mason as Poppy.

Pacified for the moment by Esme’s beauty and charm, Mason managed a smile. The children ran off to look at the pond out back, and seeing Mason’s uncompromising expression, Esme quietly excused herself and followed her children.

Brother glared at brother. Mason shook his head. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I don’t really know, to be honest,” Last said.

“You were supposed to be on a sabbatical, not a family-finding mission.”

Last sighed. “I know. Funny how I didn’t get much sabbating done.”

“Well, I can see the appeal, but—”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

Mason’s brows shot up. “So what is she?”

“Friend,” Last stated.

“A friend with two children.” Mason rocked back on his heels. “Do you think you need more? I know you’re out of sorts now that it’s just me and you at the ranch, but this may be too much.”

“They’re not actually her children. She’s their aunt. And God only knows, Mason, if I didn’t want to be alone with you, I’d just find another place on
the ranch to be. I wouldn’t bring home a girlfriend to relieve the animosity.”

Mason’s lips compressed. He shook his head and sighed. “What I want to know is when it became animosity.”

“Probably about the time you came home from your own sabbatical and found yourself uncle to my unexpected child. You weren’t very supportive of me at the time.”

“I felt Valentine’s needs had to come first. She was the mother, and you were being a donkey’s hind end.”

Last shrugged. He couldn’t deny the truth. “All right. I’m only saying that’s probably when the animosity began. I’ve never liked holier-than-thou routines.”

“Well, if you’d properly employed the Condom Song—”

“Mason,” Last said, “what’s it like to be so staunch? So right all the time? So perfect?”

Mason looked at him for another long moment, then turned on his heel and went inside.

“Now
that’s
animosity,” Last said. He went off to find Esme, who sat forlornly on a bench under one of the many willow trees that had been planted around the pond by his brother Tex.

The fact was, Last hadn’t known how much he was willing to protect this woman and her brood until Mason decided to dog them out. Something feral and intense had stirred to life inside Last that he couldn’t yet put a name to. But he knew it wasn’t going away.

“Hey,” he said.

She looked up. “I’ve got it figured out. Your brother doesn’t want us here.”

“So? Mason’s got a stick up his butt. He always has. Forget about it.”

“How did it get there?”

Last rolled his eyes. “When he let the woman he loved slip away. Pay him no mind. None of us do.” Mason’s heavy-handedness had grated on all the brothers’ nerves, giving each one a reason to find his own path, leading away from Malfunction Junction. Last stayed behind on the ranch because of his young daughter. “Most of my brothers have left. I’d be gone, too,” he said, “but I became a father.”

“Well, that speaks very well of you,” Esme said.

He looked at her. Her dark hair gleamed in the sunlight, and she wore no makeup except lip gloss. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings the other night,” he said softly.

“You…oh, all right,” she capitulated. “I was going to deny it, but you did.”

He nodded. “I’ll probably do that a lot. It seems to be something I do.”

She gave him an even look. “Stop doing it.”

“It’s a Jefferson trait.”

Shrugging, she said, “Grow a different gene. I challenge you.”

This woman would not give him a break. He watched the kids playing on the deck, staring into the water, looking for whatever it was California kids found so fascinating about a Texas pond. “Anything for you,” he said finally, knowing he meant it.

She turned her head to watch Curtis and Amelia. “I’m sorry we got you into trouble, but thank you for bringing us here. I can tell they’re going to love Malfunction Junction.”

He hoped so. Or maybe he was just an idiot for bringing them here. Maybe Mason was partially right about Last wanting a buffer between him and his older brother.

But the real buffer he needed was between him and his wayward heart. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said sincerely. “Thanks for doing me the favor.”

She smiled at him. “Yeah.”

They sat there for a few minutes, soaking in the setting sun and the joy of the children running around the pond.

“Last?”

Turning, he saw Valentine walking toward him with Annette in her arms. “Hey, baby!” He jumped up to grab his daughter, kissing her face with joy. “You’ve grown!”

Valentine looked at Esme before returning her gaze to Last. “You were gone less than two weeks. She couldn’t have grown.”

“Then my heart grew for you,” he told Annette. “Valentine, this is…Poppy Peabody. Poppy, Valentine, wife to my brother Crockett.” Hesitating, Last decided it was time to get real; it was time to begin telling the truth with no playacting to cover it up. “Actually,” he said slowly, looking at Poppy, “her name is Esme Hastings, which I think is beautiful.”

“Hello, Esme,” Valentine said quietly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Valentine’s reaction startled him more than Mason’s had. He couldn’t understand what the big deal was. They’d had twenty women here before, during the big storm, and women stayed over at the
ranch for many other reasons, too. The Jeffersons always took care of each other and of anyone else that needed caring for. How was this different?

Crockett lumbered over, giving Last a hearty slap on the back. “So soon the prodigal son returns,” he said.

“Shut up, Crockett,” Last said. “This is Esme Hastings. Esme, meet one of the dirty dozen.”

Crockett grinned at Esme. “Welcome.”

“Well, we must be going,” Valentine said. “It’s good to meet you, Esme. Last is right. Esme is a lovely name. Very elegant.” She took Annette from Last, casting an eye toward the children playing around the pond. “Your children?” she asked.

“Niece and nephew.”

“Oh.” Valentine smiled. “Bring them to my bakery sometime after you get more settled in. Where are you staying, by the way?”

Reluctantly Last said, “In the house you moved out of.”

“Oh.” Valentine nodded after a moment. “Well, you’ll find it very comfortable. Goodbye.”

She walked away with Crockett, and Last sighed. Esme looked at him. “Guess that was awkward for you.”

“Everything about this family is awkward for
me.” He sighed again, deciding to unload some of his feelings. “I’m the youngest of twelve, and even in school I was looked at as the last of the Jefferson boys. It was almost as if teachers expected me to tear things up and make mischief. Follow in the family footsteps.”

“And did you?”

“Of course,” Last said, “although much more responsibly than my brothers. But then I made one teensy little lapse in judgment—”

“And a cute thing she is,” Esme said with a smile.

“And suddenly I’m the brother everybody rags on.”

“Actually I bet it’s because all the rest of them are married now. You’re the loner, except for Mason. And because you’re his kid brother, there’s a pretty wide gulf there.”

He looked at her. “I never thought of it that way.”

“And Valentine just didn’t know what to think about another woman being around her child. I completely understand that.”

“Yeah,” Last said slowly. “I know that feeling, too.”

“They’ll settle down after they get to know me.”

Last blinked. “Make me a promise.”

“Oh, I really don’t make promises to men,” Esme said. “I don’t seem to be able to keep them very well.”

“Keep this one to me. Promise me you won’t leave me here alone with them.”

She laughed. “They’re your family. And they seem very nice.”

“Our friendship is good for me,” he said, meaning it. “You give me deeper perception.”

“Of what?”

“My life.”

She looked at him uncertainly. “You seem fine to me.”

“So promise, if I seem so fine.”

“I can’t.” She shook her head. “I have to think of the children.”

That was true. He would agree that children came first, above all. “At least tell me if you decide you’re not happy here.”

“I will.” Esme smiled at him. “I’m only here for a month, at first, anyway.”

He remembered the elderly man sitting next to him at the circus. “The judge is quite conservative. We’ll have to consider your battle plan.”

She laughed. “I don’t need a battle plan. We’re here in the land of stability, right?”

He shook his head. “As you can see, it’s more Malfunction Junction.”

“So it’s always awkward?”

“It’s always…family.”

Esme nodded. “Then it’s fine with me.”

“Esme,” he said suddenly, taking her hand, “I know this is going to sound bizarre, but I think you belong here.”

She blinked. “You’re only saying that because my presence annoys your family.”

He grinned. “That certainly is a point in your favor. However, I really do think you will like Union Junction.”

“Because?”

He let his gaze roam over her face, marveling at its texture and delicate lines. “I just hope you do,” he said softly. “I think you’d make a great addition to the family.”

“Too bad all the brothers are hitched,” she said. “Except for Mason—”

“Don’t even think about it,” Last said. “As it is, I may have to protect you from any loose cowboys in town. While you’re here, you are under my protection, you know.”

She raised a brow. “Protection?”

He nodded. “Exactly. It’s the least I can do.”

“So when do you leave to go bungee jumping?”

He wondered at the abrupt question. She’d turned her head from him, showing him a profile that gave nothing away.

And that’s when he knew that his heart was going in a direction neither of them wanted. He was just like the lion tamer, the ringmaster and the man in the gorilla suit, offering something she might need but didn’t want.

“Soon,” he said. “Come on. Let me show you to your temporary digs.”

“F
ORBIDDEN FRUIT
is not really safe to eat,” Mason said when Last went inside the main ranch house later that day.

“Forbidden?” Last looked at his eldest brother. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I have a funny feeling that woman is carrying a bit of baggage with her,” Mason said.

Last looked at his stern brother. “Doesn’t everybody we know?”

“You’re not planning on anything serious with her, are you?”

“No.” Last shook his head. “I’m not planning anything serious in my life at all.”
“Damn it!” Mason thundered. “That’s your whole problem! Nothing is serious for you!”

Resenting Mason’s fatherly approach, Last turned away. “I’m serious about Annette.”

“Then don’t introduce a woman into her life you know nothing about.”

Last stiffened. Just Mason’s tone made him want to go kiss the daylights out of Esme. He was hot for her. He wanted her like crazy, though he denied it to everyone and mostly to himself. All of the questions and doubts Mason had about her had already occurred to Last, but they’d been subsumed by the magic that had come over him the moment he laid eyes on her at the beach.

“Mason, shut the hell up,” Last said suddenly. “It’s time you put your nose in your own business and kept it out of mine.”

Mason stared at him, his brows etched tightly together, but Last wasn’t worried about Mason’s thundering attitude. “I don’t care what you think.” Last said quietly. “She’s a good woman. Those are good kids. If they’re not welcome here, then they’ll go, but so will I.”

Mason’s eyes grew dark. “Then this time use protection.”

Last walked to within an inch of his brother.

“Mason, if you ever say anything like that to me again, I swear you’ll lose a brother for good.”

With those words, Last faced down Mason for the first time in his life. And Last knew he was finally starting to grow up.