Texas Gold (8 page)

If Carolyn hadn’t gone on that stupid cruise, she could talk to someone about this. As it was she couldn’t very well talk to Julie. She’d tell Tim and then all hell would break loose. Celinda would simply tell her she was going to hell and then say a word of prayer before sending an urgent prayer request out to her world-wide e-mail prayer request chain.

Nope she was stuck thinking about it all by her lonesome.

She tried meditating to remove all thoughts from her mind.

It didn’t work.

Every time she closed her eyes she remembered the way his kiss felt. The way his body pressed into hers. The way his hands grazed her bare skin.

“The man is trying to fire your daddy, Mallory. Get over the damn hot flashes!” She muttered the words out loud as she checked out the clock once again. They worked to remind her, but they couldn’t erase the sensations.

She was ready to start sticking up notes reminding herself of exactly how callous Brenton was when she heard him drive up.

Five big brothers might have kept her from the dating scene, but they hadn’t undermined all her knowledge. And Mallory didn’t want Brenton thinking she’d sat around waiting on him, so she ignored his knock for the first couple minutes.

When she opened the door, she pretended to be out of breath, running just a tad late, not at all worried about the thirty minute delay his tardiness had caused.

“Sorry. John’s still in town and we had to take care of a little problem.”

She waved off the excuse like it was no big deal all the while wondering what kind of problem cropped up in his business and hoping it worked in her favor. He looked good in his azure shorts and white tee shirt.

Completely relaxed. Nothing like he usually looked.

“So what’s on the agenda today?”

Her agenda and the spoken one were altogether different.

“I figured a little morning run to start us off and then maybe I’ll take you through downtown. Introduce you to a few of the locals other than Mayor Jenkins and the city councilors you already know.”

“Good idea. I’d love to meet some of the entrepreneurs in town.” He didn’t seem worried about the run at all.
 

“You ready?” She hoped her question didn’t sound like a challenge. She didn’t want Brenton viewing this as a contest.

Lord knew the man was more competitive than she was!

He nodded and followed as she started.

As the ran down the drive, she pointed to the other houses in her neighborhood. “This street was home to many of the first Serendipity settlers. The oil boom brought tons of people to town, and the ones who lived here stayed on afterwards.”

It didn’t seem like keeping up with her would be a problem. At least not at first. He wasn’t the least bit winded.

But he wasn’t saying much. Hadn’t really said much at the house. Their conversation had felt forced, and she wondered what he felt about the week’s hiatus.

They rounded the corner and in the near distance, she pointed out the school. “It was built in 1965. It holds K-12 and wins numerous awards on the state and national level. Before ‘65 the children of Serendipity were schooled in the little old school house.”
 

She pointed at the one room white platform house that stood off to the side of the new school. A heritage society sign swung from its posts in the front yard.

“Most of the original buildings of major importance have weathered the test of time. Our heritage society keeps them up well. These days they run a tour through town. Serendipity Follies. It ends with a movie and choice of grape or orange soda. That was Nellie Ferguson the librarian’s idea. I personally voted for root beer or cream soda, but I lost hands down.

He was being way too silent. She didn’t like it a bit. No telling what he was thinking plodding along beside her looking like he ran miles in his sleep.

She picked up the tempo and pointed out the library and old fire station and courthouse. She showed off the historic jail and old train depot.

And her reward, a few nods, that’s nice and hmmm’s.

At least he’d broken a sweat, but then she had, too. He didn’t complain a bit. Just picked up the pace when she did.

After mile five, she’d had enough. He’d seen most of the historic markers downtown, and she couldn’t keep talking and running at the same time after that, so they’d jogged along in silence. The only sounds those made by birds, locusts, crickets and grasshoppers when they ran too close to the heat dried grass.

As they turned the corner back to her street, Mallory eyed him just to make sure he wasn’t faking his athletic ability. She was breathing harder than him. So much for making him feel awed by her athletic prowess. Hopefully, he’d been impressed with the town enough to see growth would hurt it.

When she pushed open her door, he finally spoke. “You didn’t lock it?”

She shook her head, breathing in big gulps. “No, silly. No one locks their doors in Serendipity.”

For a second he didn’t answer. Then he whistled and raised his hands over his head in an easy stretch. “Boy. If that’s the case, you all could be prime cruising time for some country thief. I can’t remember the last time I heard something like that.”

In spite of wanting to bump the air down to fifty and drop on her couch to die from exhaustion, she almost did a jig at his words.

“You can’t remember the last time you were anywhere as unspoiled as this town.” She dropped to her carpet and stretched over her legs. She wanted to say more, but she didn’t want to ruin the friendly feeling between them. The usual tension was barely even noticeable. And she liked it better that way.

“I can’t remember the last time I ever saw a downtown so superb.” His stretches showed off his hard abdominal muscles. She’d been a fool to think he was some softy just because he was worth millions. Six packs like his didn’t come from sitting around making million dollar deals.

As he bent over his legs, she could only admire them. Every muscle defined. Perfect runner’s legs. Oh man. She was crazy about legs like his. She should have guessed that under those Armani suits and Polo casual clothes, he was every bit the athlete his daughter was.

“Are you done admiring?”

Fire filled her cheeks at his question.

“It’s your fault. Who would have guessed you could run?”

He sat on the floor beside her, leaning back, relaxing. Bringing that old tension right back.

“Anyone who asked would know.”
 

He’d known what she had planned. She could see it in the teasing glint of his eyes.”

“Just so I don’t make a fool of myself in the near future, what don’t you do?”

In answer he laughed. “What, so you can arrange that for our next meeting on your turf? Okay, I’ll bite. I don’t vacuum or dust. Pogo sticks are out of the question, and horses, well, I can take ‘em or leave ‘em, but I prefer leaving. But I gotta tell you, I do a mean yo-yo. I can rock the cradle with the best of them.”

He laughed again, and she couldn’t help but join him.
 

“I guess I owe you an apology.”

He shrugged off her suggestion. “Hey, there’s nothing I love more than a worthy adversary. You know there’s nothing wrong with compromise.”

She didn’t want to talk business. Not now when it felt so good just hanging out with him. Almost normal. Like she was just one of the guys again. She knew this role, knew it well.
 

“So, what did you think of the town?”

He didn’t answer for such a long time she wondered if she’d already won the first battle.

“You wouldn’t like it if I told you. Maybe I better just not say a word.”

She slugged his arm playfully. “Oh no you don’t. You can’t start with something like that and not finish.”

She knew it. Showing him how wonderful the city was had him rethinking his plans. She could almost kiss him for that.

“I don’t think so.”

She grabbed his arm, tugged gently and put on her best flirtatious smile. The one that always got her her way with her brother, her daddy, the principal and just about every other male she knew.

He slipped his arm away from her and brushed a lingering trail of sweat from her face. Her breath caught in response to that and the almost sadness in his eyes.

“I should thank you.”

They were the right words, but they didn’t feel right. The same way the return to just one of the guys didn’t feel right.

She pulled away. “Why?”

“You just showed me a few hundred reasons why this city is a gold mine. Do you have any idea how many people want to see a place like Serendipity? For God’s sake, you don’t lock your doors. It’s like stepping back a hundred years with all of today’s conveniences. I bet you still have a Fourth of July parade. You do, don’t you?”

She could only nod as the dread of what he said washed over her. What she’d wanted to do was show him why his plans were nonsense. She didn’t want to see the excitement on his face or the far off look he had as if he were planning the next ten years of Serendipity’s future.

“We already have tourists. They know we’re here. Remember grape or orange sodas?”

“It’s not the same as it will be. Trust me.”

Trust him when he wanted to ruin everything?
 

She wanted to tell him that Serendipity had more parades. That the Fourth was only one. They had one at Christmas and for Homecoming, too. That Homecoming was the biggest. That J.D. Baber always rode in the front truck, and he always would, but she was afraid telling him would make things that much worse.
 

Instead she stood. “You were right. I didn’t like it.”

“I tried to warn you.”

He watched her walk into the kitchen, heard her call,
 
“Want some water?”

What he wanted to do was get up off the floor and follow her, tell her he was sorry. He hated the look in her eyes after he’d told her the truth.

How could she not see the potential this little town had?

What he did was stay planted on the ground next to her ugly brown sofa. “Water would be great.”

He looked around the room and wondered what exactly it said about her.

One, she was a family girl. Pictures of her with her father and brothers were scattered all over. No mother. Not even an old photo from years before.

Potted plants dangled from hooks on the ceiling and sat in big pots on the floor. Africa violets graced an end table top.

None of the furniture matched.
 

Not that there was much of it.

So she was a nurturer, and appearances didn’t count for much.

And she didn’t spend the money she made as coach either. Teachers might not make much, but they made more than she spent on this tiny house.

She returned with the glass of water. Star Wars.
 

He couldn’t believe she still had one of these. “I had this one. God, how’d you keep from breaking it all this time?”

A shrug served as an answer.

He had to get her mind off what he’d told her. He should’ve just lied and told her what he knew she wanted to hear. He’d thought about it when her hand had wrapped around his arm.

Telling her what she wanted would’ve led to what he wanted, and boy did he want it. Now he’d have a better chance of ice skating on Serendipity Lake in the middle of August.

“How many more have you got hidden in that kitchen?”

She held out the glass in her hand. It matched the one in his. “These are the good company glasses. And they’re it. But I do have a Strawberry Shortcake and Papa Smurf for special occasions.”

“No Tupperware?”

Mock horror covered her face. “Good heavens, no. Costs too much for a girl like me. These were free with purchases. And they’re great conversation starters.”

Happy to hear the teasing quality back in her voice, he finished the water in his glass and stood. “Take me on the grand tour?”

For a second, she hesitated and he wondered if she was remembering the tour he’d taken her on in his house. Remembering the way it had ended.

The teasing sparkle left her eyes, but a few seconds later she shrugged in resignation. “Sure. But I’m telling you right now up front, I’m a simple girl. There’s no stained glass or technological innovations for me.”

After placing their empty glasses on the walnut coffee table, she pointed through the first door and he saw an all white kitchen with a linoleum floor. The table was more ancient than antique, but she did have a great view of her backyard.

The second door was a bathroom with pink tile.

If he remembered correctly, his grandmother had pink tile in her bathroom back before she’d moved into a convalescent home. Pink tile and rose perfume. He inhaled expecting the same floral scent, but the only scent in Mallory’s bathroom was Ivory Soap.

The hall walls were lined with more family photos. She didn’t point them out, but when he came across one with her and all five of hr brothers, he couldn’t resist finding out about it.

They were dressed in ball uniforms, looking like the Bad News Bears. Mallory stood front center, glove on one hand, ball in the other. Her hair back then just the same only flying everywhere. Her suit was covered in dirt as was her face, and it almost looked like she had a black eye.

She trailed back to him and laughed at the picture.

“That was family reunion. Daddy had us play him and his brothers and sisters every year. That year, I pitched. It was the first time we won.”

He could hear the pride in her voice and he felt a tug. Family reunions were foreign to him. How lucky she was.

Warmth emanated from her voice as she told about each of her brothers.

She pointed first to Tim. He hadn’t changed a bit. “Oldest and that makes him think he’s wisest. Even back then. He’s married to Julie and Jen’s their daughter.”

She stopped and looked at him smiling. “But then you know that.”

He did know, but hearing about Tim through his sister’s eyes made him seem more real and less like someone who’d sold him a few acres of land.
 

She pointed to the second in the row. “That’s Scott. You’ve probably seen him around town.”