the lies my father told my mother.”
Rick caught her hand, bringing her eyes back to him. “I’m not lying, and I’m not James or your father.” He squeezed her fingers. “They both sound like bastards.”
Lani looked startled, then laughed. “That’s them all right.”
He dropped her hand before she could pull away, and they walked through Sadie’s apple and peach orchard toward the barn. The air was completely still, a prelude to a monsoon storm. Thunderheads had built up all around, and it smelled of rain.
“How long have you lived here?” she asked.
“I grew up in this house.” He sidestepped a watering hose and sprinkler head hidden in the grass and made sure Lani didn’t stumble over it. “When I graduated high school, I moved to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona, then went into the Border Patrol Academy. After that, when I became an agent, I was stationed along the Texas border.”
Lani ducked under the branch of an apple tree. “How did you end up back on the ranch?”
“When Trevor’s mother died five years ago, I felt he needed his grandparents. So I managed to get a transfer here and we moved in with Mom and Chuck.”
“I didn’t mean to pry.” Embarrassment flashed across her face.
He smiled and squeezed her shoulder. “You didn’t.”
“Dad Dad Dad Dad!” Trevor charged toward them. “Come see! Come on, come on!” He grabbed Rick’s hand.
Trevor led the way, pulling his dad toward the barn. “Wait ‘til you see!” When they entered the dusty barn, Lani sneezed, and Trevor said, “Bless you. Come on now and see.” He pulled Rick around the saddles and tack to a cardboard box in one corner. “Look, Barny had kittens. Lots of kittens. It took me a long time to find her, but I did and I counted five kittens, and one is orange like her and two are black and I think one is calico, and the other is white.”
“Cute babies.” Lani crouched next to the box and sneezed. “The mama cat is beautiful.” Her eyes watered and she sneezed again.
“Those are some fine kittens, Trev.” Rick stroked one of the rat-like things as the mama cat kept a watchful eye on him. “I think Lani is allergic to cats or the barn, so maybe we’d better scram.”
“I’m—” She sneezed. “Fine. Really—” Sneeze. “I am.” Sneeze.
With a laugh, Rick grabbed her hand and pulled her up. “Come on, Sneezy.”
“Lani’s like Aunt Callie. She always sneezes when she comes out to the barn, too. Come on and let’s tell Grandma and Grandpa about the kittens.” The boy charged out the door and headed back to the house.
“I don’t think I’ve—” Lani sneezed. “Ever sneezed so many times in my life.” Sneeze.
“Let’s get you some allergy medicine.” Rick nodded toward the house. “And I think I smell Mom’s tacos. They’re the best in the west.”
Sure enough, tacos it was for dinner. It amazed Rick how comfortable Lani was with his family. After dinner, she insisted on helping clean up, and he joined her in washing and drying the dishes.
“I’m going to sleep like a baby,” she said after Trevor was tucked in bed, and Sadie and Chuck had retired for the night. “Those allergy tablets are making me drowsy.”
“I’ll call it a night, too.” Rick kicked off his boots at the front door, next to Trevor’s. “Back to work tomorrow.”
She walked ahead of him, then stopped before the door of the guest room, looking at him with those sensual brown eyes that made him burn. “There is a lock on this door, isn’t there?”
He slid his hands into his front pockets and studied her face, remembering how soft she’d felt in his arms the night before. How delicious her lips had tasted. His voice was husky as he replied, “You’ll be glad to know that I have the only key.”
“Rick!” She narrowed her gaze and gave him a mock frown.
He chuckled and moved closer to her. “The door locks from the inside.” A strand of her honeyed hair fell forward, and
Rick caught her hand, bringing her eyes back to him. “I’m not lying, and I’m not James or your father.” He squeezed her fingers. “They both sound like bastards.”
Lani looked startled, then laughed. “That’s them all right.”
He dropped her hand before she could pull away, and they walked through Sadie’s apple and peach orchard toward the barn. The air was completely still, a prelude to a monsoon storm. Thunderheads had built up all around, and it smelled of rain.
“How long have you lived here?” she asked.
“I grew up in this house.” He sidestepped a watering hose and sprinkler head hidden in the grass and made sure Lani didn’t stumble over it. “When I graduated high school, I moved to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona, then went into the Border Patrol Academy. After that, when I became an agent, I was stationed along the Texas border.”
Lani ducked under the branch of an apple tree. “How did you end up back on the ranch?”
“When Trevor’s mother died five years ago, I felt he needed his grandparents. So I managed to get a transfer here and we moved in with Mom and Chuck.”
“I didn’t mean to pry.” Embarrassment flashed across her face.
He smiled and squeezed her shoulder. “You didn’t.”
“Dad Dad Dad Dad!” Trevor charged toward them. “Come see! Come on, come on!” He grabbed Rick’s hand.
Trevor led the way, pulling his dad toward the barn. “Wait ‘til you see!” When they entered the dusty barn, Lani sneezed, and Trevor said, “Bless you. Come on now and see.” He pulled Rick around the saddles and tack to a cardboard box in one corner. “Look, Barny had kittens. Lots of kittens. It took me a long time to find her, but I did and I counted five kittens, and one is orange like her and two are black and I think one is calico, and the other is white.”
“Cute babies.” Lani crouched next to the box and sneezed. “The mama cat is beautiful.” Her eyes watered and she sneezed again.
“Those are some fine kittens, Trev.” Rick stroked one of the rat-like things as the mama cat kept a watchful eye on him. “I think Lani is allergic to cats or the barn, so maybe we’d better scram.”
“I’m—” She sneezed. “Fine. Really—” Sneeze. “I am.” Sneeze.
With a laugh, Rick grabbed her hand and pulled her up. “Come on, Sneezy.”
“Lani’s like Aunt Callie. She always sneezes when she comes out to the barn, too. Come on and let’s tell Grandma and Grandpa about the kittens.” The boy charged out the door and headed back to the house.
“I don’t think I’ve—” Lani sneezed. “Ever sneezed so many times in my life.” Sneeze.
“Let’s get you some allergy medicine.” Rick nodded toward the house. “And I think I smell Mom’s tacos. They’re the best in the west.”
Sure enough, tacos it was for dinner. It amazed Rick how comfortable Lani was with his family. After dinner, she insisted on helping clean up, and he joined her in washing and drying the dishes.
“I’m going to sleep like a baby,” she said after Trevor was tucked in bed, and Sadie and Chuck had retired for the night. “Those allergy tablets are making me drowsy.”
“I’ll call it a night, too.” Rick kicked off his boots at the front door, next to Trevor’s. “Back to work tomorrow.”
She walked ahead of him, then stopped before the door of the guest room, looking at him with those sensual brown eyes that made him burn. “There is a lock on this door, isn’t there?”
He slid his hands into his front pockets and studied her face, remembering how soft she’d felt in his arms the night before. How delicious her lips had tasted. His voice was husky as he replied, “You’ll be glad to know that I have the only key.”
“Rick!” She narrowed her gaze and gave him a mock frown.
He chuckled and moved closer to her. “The door locks from the inside.” A strand of her honeyed hair fell forward, and
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