Stone Cold Charade (A Stone Family Novel) (20 page)

Feeling self-conscious, she turned to
look out the window of the cab. The glimpse of what lay hidden in his eyes
could scorch the paint off his rig.

As the scenery drifted by, she realized
that she was burning up with curiosity about his current life, but she didn’t
know how to bring up the subject, or whether he would even be willing to answer
her questions.

“Any luck catching the bad guys?” she
asked instead. She tried to relax back in her seat, but being so close in the
confines of the truck made her uncomfortable, causing her heart to beat
erratically. Peeking at him through her eyelashes, trying to judge his reaction
to her question, she took a slow breath in an attempt to calm her frenzied
heartbeat.

“As a matter of fact, we have. There’s a
full moon tonight and for the next couple of days. We’ll be ready for them if
they follow through, true to form, and make a play for the cattle. We even
brought high tech goggles that will virtually make night into day. I used the
same equipment when I was in Special Ops. The rustlers we’re dealing with have
no idea who they’re up against. We’ll catch them, count on it.”

She could see the resolve written all
over his face. He was determined to catch the rustlers. Remembering what he
said about them made her go cold. He was facing a real danger of being hurt if
he tangled with the rustlers, and it terrified her. She couldn’t imagine a
world without him in it. He was trained to handle these situations; she just
wished the police were handling it instead. But, Sam and Max had left it to the
police and had gotten no results; which was why they hired him in the first
place. He had signed on to put an end to them.

“What was it like, being in the military
I mean?” She needed that glimpse of where his life had led him. She was trying
to reassure herself that he would be safe because of the training he’d had. It
was becoming difficult to get her mind off the coming night and the threat he
would face with his men.

“Glory fades. Then all you’re left with
is a lot of cold memories of friends you’ve lost.” Ty replied, a haunted tone
to his voice.

Ty didn’t like to remember the pain and
death he had seen in his military career. He knew how precious life was, and
how foolish it was to take it for granted. He learned that lesson early on in
his career.

Alex wanted to ease the pain she saw
reflected in his eyes, but she understood that what he had been through, what
he had seen, was something she would never be able to comprehend, and wasn’t
anything she could erase.

“Feeling sorry for me Tidbit? Don’t. I
learned a lot about survival and determination. I can live with the ‘what
if’s’. I learned a long time ago you take what life gives you,” he said with a
telling glance at her, suspecting she already knew about his career.

“I don’t feel sorry for you. I know it
made you the man you are now,” she said forcefully, wanting him to recognize
how she felt, confident in her reply.

Taking her hand, he threaded her fingers
through his. She didn’t pull away but allowed him to hold it. He raised it to
his lips and kissed the back of her hand. He smiled at her; she felt the warmth
of his smile, and kiss, spread through her entire body, and was reassured that
she had said the right thing.

He was glad she didn’t question him too
much about his tour; she seemed content with what he told her. He didn’t want
her hero-worshiping him, or for her to build him up in her mind. He wanted her
to get to know the genuine article, the man he really was, with all of his
faults. He didn’t want her to idolize him for his efforts to save his men,
despite being injured. He wanted her to see him from an adult perspective this
time.

He made no move to release her hand,
enjoying the feel of her soft skin in his palm. He was pleased noticing that
she didn’t seem to mind, but was content to let him hold her.

“What’s it like working for Max at the
production company?” he asked as she swung her head back to look out the
window.

“I don’t exactly work for my
grandfather, I work for Fire. She uses his production company.” She didn’t turn
toward him because she didn’t like being deceitful, and knew he would see she
wasn’t being completely honest. She still couldn’t confess about Fire.

“Do you like being around all those
celebrities?” he asked, raising his eyebrows in curiosity. He knew the old Alex
would hate it, all of it, but especially the fuss and the crush of people that
went along with working for someone famous.

“I love what I do, although I sometimes
wish the press would back off. The band is great, but the fans are the best
part, the normal ones anyway.”

She turned toward Ty with an elated
smile on her face until she realized she had answered as if she was Fire. Her
mistake made her smile evaporate; she needed to be more cautious.

“You’re that close to this Steven
fellow?” he probed, turning to watch the road. Her eyes had brightened when she
spoke about the man she was now involved with, reminding him of their younger
years and the spark she had felt for him.

Relieved he thought she was part of the
band’s inner circle due to her relationship with Steven, hoping it explained
why the press and the fans would be in her proximity, she grabbed the
explanation and ran with it, saying, “Yes, we’re close.”

As they came to a stop he released her
hand to place the rig in park and turned. “You should talk with your
grandfather. It sounds like you need a bodyguard when you’re around this guy.”
He was not pleased at the prospect of Alex being injured because of the jerk
she was dating.

“I have spoken to Max about it. All he
says is that he’s working on it.”

“Keep hounding him until he gets you
one, got it?” he responded forcefully.

Opening his door, he circled the rig. He
took her hand and gave her no choice but to allow him to help her out. Stepping
down, she was brought up against him. Breathless from the unexpected contact,
she quickly shifted away. He didn’t even seem to notice her retreat; she could
see he was distracted. Apparently he wasn’t thrilled knowing that she was
exposing herself to danger by associating with Steven, but she was
apprehensive, afraid he was still trying to play with her emotions. Did he
really care enough to worry about her? Or, did he just want her to believe he
did? She still didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him.

Ty took a long breath and ran a hand
through his hair, frustrated by how she kept pulling away from him physically
and mentally. Not in all the time he was in the service had his patience been
so tested. It was becoming increasingly hard to be around her knowing she was
frightened of him for no reason other than her illegitimate fears.

“There’s nothing to fear except fear
itself, do you know that Alex?” he said huskily, moving to stand next to her.

“What do you mean?”

“Just that if you’re afraid of
something, and know you fear it, you can conquer that fear. Got it?” Just as
quickly he switched topics. “I need to check the fence. Why don’t you unpack
lunch and we’ll eat when I get back. There’s a blanket in the cab.”

Not waiting for an answer, he drifted
away from her. It was hard to resist the urge to drag her into his arms where
he could make her forget anything she was afraid of. But he had to stick to his
resolve and let her come to him.

Watching him stride away from her, Alex
stood contemplating what he had said. She moved to take the picnic basket and
blanket out of the cab. Finding a shady spot under an oak tree, she spread out
the blanket and started unpacking their lunch. Martha had filled the basket
with fried chicken and salad; there was even a bottle of white wine and two
wine glasses. When she got back to the ranch they needed to have a long talk,
she thought to herself.

Waiting for Ty to return, she made the
decision to put the past where it belonged. She could not keep wondering about
whether he would intentionally hurt her again or not. She needed to concentrate
on the here and now and let tomorrow worry about itself. He couldn’t hurt her
again if she just accepted that he could not offer her a commitment now or in
the future. Was she able to live with that fact?

Alex chose to take advantage of her time
alone. She reflected on why she was so afraid. She had made the choice to go
with Ty before he vanished out of her life again, and if this were all she
would ever have with him, she had to bury her fears. She knew she couldn’t let
them dictate her actions any longer, just as he had pointed out. She was still
in love with him, he was the only man for her, and to let her fears stop her
from being with him, even for a short time, was inexcusable. She needed to take
the chance that when he left, she would be able to survive it. If he broke her
heart, hopefully she could walk away with treasured memories to help ease the
pain of loving him but not being a fixture in his life.

When she saw him moving toward her she
opened the bottle of wine, a new resolve in her actions. Reaching the blanket,
he eased down as she handed him a glass. She started dishing up their lunch and
saw Ty raise an eyebrow in question about the wine.

“Martha packed it. I think she believes
there’s something going on between us,” she explained with a tongue in cheek
expression on her face.

“Remind me to thank her,” he said
playfully.

Reclining casually against the oak tree
and keeping a distance from her, as promised, allowing her plenty of space, he
studied her features to judge if there was any change in her reactions to him.
He found she wasn’t trying to hide from him. She met his gaze head on. Ty
smiled to himself as he began to eat.

Finally relaxing in his company, she
stopped watching every move he made to see if there were hidden meanings in
what he did or said. She started to take him at face value. It changed the
scope of their relationship. She became more comfortable and more confident.

The rest of the afternoon sped by. They
talked and laughed about old times. He made her laugh so hard her sides ached
as he retold the story about how he had first met Parry. He shrugged off taking
the wet behind the ears kid under his wing when he was assigned to his unit as
a communication officer.

He brought Alex up to date on his
sister, Jenny, and her life, how happy she was with her kids and her husband.
They spoke about Alex’s work and she answered his inquires as truthfully as she
dared. She still wasn’t ready to come completely clean about being Fire. She
didn’t want him to think about her, just Alex, the real woman in front of him.
Finding herself longing to tell him, but not trusting him enough, she decided
it was because she was not perceptive enough to tell how he would react if he
found out more about Fire and what her songs were about.

When the sun was beginning to set, she
reluctantly began to pack up the remnants of their lunch. She had let him back
into her life, and had enjoyed his company. It reminded her of how it had been
before they had drifted apart. She didn’t want to go home yet, afraid something
would happen to break the peace they had found together.

Ty could sense her apprehension to
leave. Restraining himself from touching her all day, scared he would frighten
her away, had played havoc on his body. Spending the afternoon getting to know
the woman she had become had only increased his longing to possess her. As he
helped Alex back into the truck, he couldn’t stop himself from brushing a stray
hair away from her face. As he glanced down at her expression, he glimpsed the
beseeching look in her eyes.

She waited, holding her breath for his
kiss. She had begun to question whether he was still attracted to her. He
hadn’t laid a finger on her all day. He slowly closed the distance between
them, capturing her mouth with his. As his mouth touched hers, she parted her
lips to allow him to deepen the kiss.

Feeling himself go under with the taste
of her, he reluctantly stepped back.

“I don’t think I could handle the
temptation, you might not make it home tonight honey,” he said quietly as he
tenderly stroked her incredibly soft cheek.

He moved away from her allure and the
temptation she represented, closing the door on her puzzled expression. Ty
rounded the SUV, opened his door, and got behind the wheel. Once inside, he
stole a glance in her direction in time to see her smile as it dawned on her.

“I don’t think Martha would mind. Before
I left she told me, and I quote, ‘have a good time’ end quote.”

“I would care, Tidbit. First times are
special. Do you really want yours in the back of a truck?” Ty asked, starting
the engine. His question led Alex to believe that he would not have halted
their lovemaking.

She burst out laughing. She was laughing
so hard if it weren’t for the fact that he had seen her have only one glass of
wine, he would have thought she was a bit drunk.

She covered her mouth with her hand in
an attempt to stop. She could see he didn’t get the joke so she filled him in.

“Can’t you just imagine the headlines on
that one? ‘Stone Girl Injured by Gear Shift, Will She Ever be Able to Drive
Again?’ Max would have an aneurysm!” He started to laugh along with her as they
headed back to the house.