Timing (301 page)

Even when I heard, from far away, the sound of other voices, I still

couldn’t lift my head off his chest.

I woke up later alone, but I still was not able to open my eyes.

When the door opened, I thought it was Rand until I felt the soft hand

on my bare back.

“Poor thing,” May Holloway said softly.

My eyes drifted open, and I turned my head without lifting it off

the pillow. “You’re not mad?”

“About what?”

“Me… being here… in your son’s bed.”

“No, darling, how could I be mad? You make Rand so happy, and

I don’t have to guess what kind of man you are, because I know

already. You’ve been in my life for over ten years showing me your

heart and how wonderful it is.”

“I love you,” I said, sitting up fast, turning to grab her, squeeze

her tight.

She giggled. “Oh sweetie, me too.”

“You’re not worried about Rand getting hurt?”

“Hurt by you?”

“No, by homophobic assholes who—”

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177

She snorted out a laugh. “If you get a bazooka, you can hurt

Rand. Barring that, I’m not concerned. I’m actually more worried about

Tate.”

I leaned back. “I’m sorry, who?”

“Tate Langley, my beau… he’s downstairs.”

“Wait, I thought we were meeting him on Monday night?”

“I know, but he got a wild hair up his butt and decided that today

was the day, since it’s the six-month anniversary of our first date.”

I smiled wide. “Aww.”

Her answering noise of disgust made me smile.

“He loves you.”

“It would seem so, yes,” she said irritably.

“But we’re not happy about this why?”

Her hands were suddenly on my face. “I’m so sorry about Grace

Freeman, and I’m terrified for you. My God, what would we do without

you?”

“No, no, no,” I brushed her hands off me. “Why aren’t we

happy?”

“Well,” she cringed, “what if he decides he wants to marry me?”

“That’d be good, wouldn’t it?”

“But then I wouldn’t be Mrs. James Holloway anymore.”

I let out a deep sigh. “It doesn’t mean that at all. You’ll always be

the wife of the father of your children, but he’s gone, and do you really

think that he would want you to be alone when you have so much more

love to give?”

Her bottom lip quivered. “I loved Rand and Charlotte’s father

with all my heart. I wanted to go into the ground with him when he

passed.”

“I know you did. I remember.”

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Mary Calmes

She put her hand on my cheek. “You see, this is what I mean. We

have history already, you and me. You being with Rand—how could

you think I would object?”

I sighed. “I wonder what Charlotte will think?”

“I think Charlotte will either be over the moon or devastated.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because her brother will know something about her best friend

that she never will,” she said to me. “Charlotte is never going to be in

bed with you, Stef, and knowing that Rand is… as ridiculous as it

sounds, as unreasonable… she’ll be crazy jealous.”

“God, she will.” I looked at May. “You know your daughter

well.”

“I should hope so.”

I tipped my head toward the door. “So you’re comfortable leaving

your new man downstairs with your son?”

She jerked like she’d been struck with lightning. “Oh my lord,

what was I thinkin’?”

I chuckled, watching her rush form the room.

After a quick shower, I changed into a pair of khakis and a baby

blue short-sleeved, collared shirt. I wanted to be presentable to meet

May’s gentleman caller. I didn’t mess with my hair as much as normal,

figuring that it was more important to hurry up and get downstairs.

Since I couldn’t find any clean socks, I went barefoot. When I walked

into the living room, Rand and Tate were playing with the Wii. They

stopped the game immediately.

“Sorry,” I said, walking over next to Rand. “I didn’t mean to

interrupt.”

“You’re… not,” he said quickly, swallowing hard, licking his

lips. “You sure you should be up, Stef? You had quite a—”

“I’m fine,” I said. “Can I play the winner?”

He nodded, looking me up and down, and I stared up into his eyes

until he looked away.

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179

“Okay, so lemme introduce you to Tate Langley.”

Mr. Langley was fifty-eight to May’s sixty and had three

daughters and a son of his own. He was just thrilled to meet me, and his

warm handshake let me know that the feeling was genuine. He was a

handsome man, shorter than both Rand and me, with pale blue eyes and

silver hair. He told me that he had an insurance business in Lubbock

and a car dealership in Amarillo. I told him that it must be nice to sell

the car and then insure it. I liked the wink I got in return.

I heard the dogs barking, and the screen door opened as another

cowboy walked into the living room. The man was lean and lanky,

handsome in a classic way, with deep-set eyes and chiseled features.

“Chris,” Rand said.

“It looks like Mr. Langley’s family has arrived.”

He nodded quickly. “Show them in.”

Chris looked over at me, touched the brim of his hat, and turned

back for the door.

“I didn’t know he could talk,” May said as the screen door banged

shut. “And he actually acknowledged you, Stef—alert the media.”

I was going to say something, but May suddenly gasped.

“What?”

She ignored me, turning instead to Tate. “Did he just say that your

family was here?”

“Yes.” He smiled wide. “I was telling Rand that I would love him

to meet my family soon, and he said that there was no time like the

present, so I got on the phone and invited them on out here. Isn’t it

wonderful?”

She looked like she was going to pass out.

I cleared my throat. “Have you even met his family yet?” I asked

May.

“No,” she barely got out, quickly turning a very sickly shade of

gray.

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Mary Calmes

I tried not to smile as I led her over to the bookcase. “Quick,

shallow breaths,” I advised her, showing her, modeling it so she’d

know what to do. “Funny, I figured at sixty this kinda shit wouldn’t

happen anymore.”

She swatted me hard.

I laughed at her, and she did it again.

Tate Langley’s family was just as attractive as he was. His

daughter Sophie was stunning, her husband Eli charming, his daughter

Amanda was crisp and flawless, his son Tristan looked like he should

have modeled suits in a magazine, and his daughter Candace, the

beauty of the whole bunch, took one look at Rand Holloway and

decided what she wanted for Christmas.

Her lovely copper-colored eyes slid over Rand from head to toe,

and she started gushing about the ranch.

I arched an eyebrow for May. “She likey.”

“Stop.”

“What?”

“Oh good heavens,” she sighed, walking to Tate’s side when he

called for her, still doing the semi-Lamaze breathing that I was making

her do.

“Who knew that was gonna come in handy again huh?”

“You’re an evil thing Stefan Joss.”

This was not news.

I darted into the kitchen to pull out some of the leftovers from

Charlotte’s rehearsal dinner. There were still platters of barbecued beef

and pork left over, and I went to work preparing a salad. The baked

beans just needed to be warmed up, and the potato salad and coleslaw

that Rand had bought for lunch were added to my menu.

When the door swung open, I was surprised to find Tristan there.

“Hi,” I said.

“Hello.” His smile was huge as he crossed the kitchen to me. “I’m

Tristan.”

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181

I shook the hand he extended for me. “I heard your Dad introduce

you.”

“And you are?”

“Oh, Stefan, sorry.”

“Stefan,” he repeated, covering my hand with his. “It’s a real

pleasure.”

I nodded as he released my hand.

“You need some help?”

“That’d be great.”

He was articulate, funny, and, as he was a marketing manager for

a PR firm, we had a lot to talk about. When his sister Amanda poked

her head in and asked if she could lend a hand, he told her no before I

could say yes. She gave me a perfunctory smile and left the room.

“I hope she didn’t feel shafted,” I told him.

“Amanda’s just being Amanda. She wants to see if I’m making

any progress in here.”

“I’m sorry?”

He looked at me oddly. “Stefan, you must know—I didn’t just

come in here by accident. I followed you in here.”

“Well, that’s very flattering.”

He slid closer to me. “You are without a doubt the most beautiful

man I have seen in a very long time, and I would be remiss to let an

opportunity like this slip by.”

“An opportunity like what?”

“To ask you out.”

I smiled slowly. “Oh, okay, well that’s a very nice offer, and

normally I would take—”

“Don’t say no,” he said. “You have to eat. Let me take you out—I

know some great places in Lubbock that—”

“I’m sure,” I told him, “but I’m seeing someone right now.”

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Mary Calmes

He leaned close and grabbed a handful of my ass. “You are going

to look so great in my bed… I can’t wait to see your skin next to my

sheets.”

It was not the cheesiest line I had ever heard, but it was right up

there. Someone somewhere had done the man a grave injustice at one

point and told him he was smooth. It was like the people who

auditioned on
American Idol
because their “friends” said they could

sing. You’re sitting at home wondering,
Why?
I try never to humiliate

anyone because it’s bad karma just waiting to happen, but this was a

day on which I had almost been killed. I was not in possession of my

usual emotional stamina. Between Rand’s upheaval of my life and

nearly being gunned down, I was slightly unhinged. All I could do was

put my head back and laugh. I should have thanked him for the release,

because laughing was certainly better than the alternative.

“What the hell is so—”

“What’s goin’ on in here?” Rand asked as he strode into the

room, Candace close behind him. “What’re you doin’?”

“I’m cooking,” I gasped, wiping at my eyes with the back of my

hand, the tears from laughing blurring my vision. “And Tristan here is

entertaining me. He’s funny as shit.”

“Is he?” Rand scowled, walking up beside me, his hand on the

back of my neck, massaging. “Well, that’s right neighborly of him… to

entertain the help.”

I smiled up at him as he tangled his hand in my hair. “The help?”

“Yep,” he chuckled before giving my ass a hard slap and strolling

out of the room. I was left with Candace staring at me with huge eyes

and a dumbfounded Tristan beside her.

“Sorry, he’s kind of a jerk.”

Candace pointed after him. “Rand’s gay?”

I didn’t have time to answer her before the door swung open

again and the man in question returned. I was grabbed hard from

behind, arms wrapping around my waist tightly. I smiled crazily as he

pressed against my back before rubbing his chin on my shoulder.

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183

“You smell so good,” he said gruffly, his face pressed against the

side of my neck, nuzzling, his hands slipping under my shirt, clutching

at my bare skin.

It was hard to concentrate with him so close to me. I got that

almost queasy feeling in my stomach.

“Rand?” I heard Candace say his name.

My head rolled back on my shoulders as my jeans tightened

uncomfortably. His effect on me was instant. He burned me up.

“Hi,” Rand said cheerfully as he pressed a hand against my

stomach. “He’s mine, did he tell you?”

I recovered enough to look up, tried to smile even as Rand

pressed his groin into my ass. The movement sent an electric shock

through my entire body. I realized then that we should have just stayed

in bed all day. This thing, whatever it was between us, was still too new

for us to be capable of socializing. We needed to be alone because I

was on sensory overload.

“You’re his boyfriend?” Tristan asked, giving me a look.

“Yeah.” I smiled lazily, loving the feel of his hands on me. “It’s

new.”

“I had no idea that… does Dad know?”

“Sure,” I said cheerfully.

“Yeah, he knows,” Rand laughed, kissing my ear before letting

me go. “Everyone knows this man belongs to me,” he finished before

walking back out of the kitchen.

“Oh my God,” Candace breathed out. “I feel so stupid.”

“Don’t,” I told her. “He’s hot as hell—if I were you, I’d want a

little of that myself.”