“Don’t ask me not to fight, Michelle, because I can’t promise you that.” His words contained a steely edge as he braced himself against the power she had over him.
“You’ll let Lonny chaperone the dance, right?”
He nodded.
“That’s all I ask, except…”
“Except what?”
“Except…” She smiled again. “Except that I want you to dance every dance with me.”
Now, that was a promise Tom could keep.
Fifteen
L onny couldn’t stop thinking about his conversation with Joy last Monday afternoon. He’d wanted to tell Letty about it, but hadn’t had the chance. What surprised him was the wealth of feeling he’d experienced just seeing her. Perhaps the thought that he might lose her to another man had escalated the intensity of his emotions. He didn’t think so, though. These feelings had always been there, hidden by pride, perhaps, but definitely there.
After dropping Tom off at Larson’s, he drove over to the school. Joy’s car wasn’t in the lot. Then he remembered her mentioning something about early dismissal for the rest of the week. That put a dent in his plans. He’d hoped to meet her on the school grounds, figuring they’d be able to talk freely because she’d feel safe in a familiar environment.
He wanted to follow up on their previous conversation. He’d given her a couple of days to contemplate his apology. He hadn’t discussed this with his sister, but Lonny felt certain Letty would approve. Lonny was a businessman who preferred to be straightforward and honest in his dealings.
Still, he was prepared to go slow, the way Letty had suggested. He needed to earn Joy’s trust all over again. But he believed that she knew him, knew the person he really was.
The more Lonny thought about Joy becoming a part of his life—not just for now, but forever—the stronger his desire to make it happen. They’d have a good marriage, he was sure of it, and, if she was willing, he’d like to start a family soon. He wanted the same happiness Chase and Letty had.
Letty was pregnant. Chase had nearly shouted his ear off Monday night. He’d called after dinner, and when Lonny heard Chase yelling, he’d been afraid some disaster had occurred. It took him a moment to grasp what his friend was telling him—that he was about to become a father and Lonny an uncle for the second time. Apparently Letty had broken the news to Chase over dinner.
Lonny smiled, recalling his reaction. In the same situation, he knew he’d feel exactly the same way. Since he was already at the school, he parked and walked inside, only to find Joy’s classroom empty, pretty much as he’d expected.
Lonny tried to decide what to do next. He could always swing by her place, he supposed, climbing back in his truck.
Sure enough, her car was parked on the street in front of her house, and she was in the yard watering her flower beds. She wore denim shorts and a tank top and her feet were bare. The sight of her, dressed so casually, nearly caused him to drive over the curb. She had long, shapely legs and the figure he’d once considered skinny made him practically swallow his tongue.
Lonny parked his truck directly behind her Cruiser and turned off the engine. He hesitated, wondering if he should’ve gotten Letty’s advice first. But it was too late now. Joy had seen him.
She stood there glaring at him and holding the hose as if it were a weapon she might use against him.
Lonny got out of the truck and walked over to the sidewalk by her house.
She still clutched the hose, water jetting out, almost daring him to take one step on her green lawn.
“Good afternoon,” he said, as politely as he could. He held his hat in his hands, smiling.
“Hello.” Her greeting was cool, her tone uninflected. “What are you doing here?”
That was an important question. If he had his way, his answer would be to start the marriage negotiations…. Well, perhaps negotiations wasn’t quite the right word. He’d broach the subject directly—except he knew Letty would tell him that was a mistake.
“I stopped by to see how your day went,” he answered, hoping he looked relaxed.
“Why?” she asked bluntly, raising the hose. He was just outside the line of fire—or water.
“Put the hose down, Joy.”
She slowly lowered it, pointing it at the ground. “Why are you here?” she demanded again. Despite her hostility, her eyes told him she was pleased he’d come to see her.
“Wait,” he said. He ran to his truck and grabbed a large bunch of wildflowers from the passenger seat. He’d picked them by the side of the road; there were yellow ones and blue ones and some pink and white ones, too. He didn’t have a vase, so he’d wrapped the stems in a plastic bag with water.
Joy looked as if she didn’t know what to say. In the months they’d dated, he’d never brought her flowers.
She was speechless for a long moment. “That was a lovely thing to do.” She almost managed a smile—almost.
Joy set the hose on the lawn and hurried to the side of the house to turn off the water. Then she returned to accept his flowers and tucked them in the crook of her arm.
The silence stretched between them.
Feeling naked without his hat, Lonny set it back on his head. “I went to see you at school.”
“My last parent-teacher appointment was over by two,” she explained.
He nodded.
More silence.
She wasn’t in a talkative mood, and once again Lonny recalled his sister’s advice about going slow. Hard as it was to walk away, he decided he had to. “I hope you enjoy the flowers,” he mumbled, trying to hide his disappointment.
Joy offered him a tentative smile. “Would you care for a glass of iced tea?” she asked in a friendly voice.
“Sure.” He tried to sound nonchalant but was secretly delighted. This, finally, was progress. “That would be nice. I’d also like your opinion on something if you don’t mind.” He had an idea for supplementing his and Chase’s income and genuinely wanted to hear what she thought. She had the advantage of living in a ranching community, while having a big-city background, both of which were relevant to his plan. He’d like her advice on how to help Tom, too.
“All right.” Joy led the way into her kitchen. The sliding glass door opened onto a patio, which she’d edged with large containers holding a variety of flowers. She retrieved a large jar and arranged the wildflowers—some of which were probably weeds, he thought, slightly embarrassed as he compared them to her array of plants. After filling their glasses, she suggested they enjoy their tea outside.
Lonny held open the sliding glass door and followed her outside. Discussing this idea with her had been a spur-of-the-moment thing. But he sensed that Joy would have a valuable perspective he should hear before he approached Chase and Letty with his suggestion.
He sipped his tea and set the tall glass on the patio table. “I figure by now you’ve learned something about raising cattle,” he began.
“A little,” she agreed.
Lonny nodded encouragingly.
“I know you and Chase raise grass-fed cattle versus taking your herd to a feedlot,” she continued.
“Right,” he said, impressed by her understanding. “Basically, that means the animal’s main diet is grass. We supplement it with some other roughage, otherwise there can be problems. Our cattle are leaner and the beef has less saturated fat.”
“I think that’s admirable.”
“The thing is, the economics of ranching, especially with a small herd, just doesn’t work anymore. Chase and I are just too ornery to admit it.” He smiled as he said that. “I suffer from an unfortunate streak of stubbornness, as you might already know.” He let those words sink in, so she’d realize again how much he regretted their past differences. “Now that Letty’s pregnant, Chase is worried. He sold off a large chunk of his land. When he did, he figured on buying it back one day, but the truth is, that doesn’t seem possible now.” Lonny wasn’t sure Chase had admitted that even to himself.
“What are you going to do?” Joy asked, sounding concerned.
“I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. I could always let Tom go. As it is, I’m barely paying him a living wage—I can’t afford to. It’s hard just to make enough to keep the ranch going.” Granted, Lonny still had some savings from his rodeo days, although he’d invested most of that cash in buying their herd.
“Have you considered selling?”
That was probably a solution he should consider, but no matter how bad the situation got, he couldn’t see himself doing it. “Ranching is more than an occupation—and selling isn’t really an option, at least not for me and Chase. This land came to us through our families. It’s our inheritance and what we hope to pass on to our children and their children. It’s more than land.” He didn’t know if Joy would understand this part. She hadn’t been born into ranching the way he and Chase and Letty had. Perhaps he’d been wrong to bring up the subject. He felt foolish now, uncertain. This wasn’t all that different from declaring his feelings for her—and proposing marriage. At least now, she’d know what she was getting when he did ask.
“You said you’ve got an idea. Does it have to do with this?”
“Yeah. I haven’t talked to anyone else about it and, well, it’s pretty much off the top of my head.”
“Go on,” she urged.
“I was looking through a magazine the other day and came across an article about guest ranches. I guess they used to be called dude ranches, and according to this article they’re more popular than ever. The owners put people up for maybe a week and take them on cattle drives and so on. I nearly fell off my chair when I saw what they were charging.”
Joy frowned thoughtfully. “I’ve heard of them. Like in that movie City Slickers? It came out in the nineties. I really enjoyed it.”
“So did I, and the rest of us in town, too. I’m not laughing now, though.”
Joy raised her hand. “Do you mean to say—are you actually thinking of taking on a bunch of…city slickers?”
He ducked one shoulder. “I am. I don’t have a bunkhouse, but Chase does, and his place is right next to mine. It seems there are people out there willing to pay top dollar for the experience of being on a ranch.”
“Sounds promising,” Joy said. “How much would it add to your workload?”
“For now, the brunt of the operation would fall on Chase and Letty because they have the facilities to put folks up and I don’t.” He paused. “The whole idea is still in its infancy.”
“For that kind of enterprise, you’d need to have a sociable personality. Which you do. You get along well with people,” she said, then added, “with a few exceptions.”
He smiled because he knew she was talking about the two of them. “I generally don’t have a problem,” he said, “unless my pride gets in the way.”
“You’re not the only one with that problem.”
In other words, Joy was acknowledging her part in their falling out.
“What do you think?” he asked eagerly. He hadn’t used this as a ploy to get her to confess her own failings; that wasn’t the point. As far as he was concerned, the past was the past, and this was now. They sat on her patio, two friends sharing ideas.
“I love it. I really do.” Joy beamed at him. “You’d have to advertise,” she said, “when you’re ready to launch this.”
He smiled back, even more excited now about the guest ranch idea. He couldn’t explain why, but it’d seemed right—natural—to discuss it with Joy first.
“I’d like to bring Tom in on the deal,” he said, “but only in the summers when he’s out of school. That’s something I want to talk to you about later.”
“Tom’s still in school?”
“No, but I hope he’ll go to college. We’ve been looking at scholarships online, and he’s already applied for a few in the state. He’s definitely got the brains and the drive.”
“What about his family?”
Lonny brushed off the question. The truth was, he still didn’t know much about Tom’s family other than that his mother was dead and his father was a drunk—facts Tom had only recently, and reluctantly, divulged. “He doesn’t have any.”
“So you’re helping him?”
“I’m trying to. Tom deserves a break in life.”
“I think you’re doing a wonderful thing. And I’d be happy to help in any way I can.”
“Thanks.” Her praise flustered him. “Getting back to the guest ranch…”
She glanced away. “Letty’s a fabulous cook. I imagine part of the attraction would be the meals.”
“I’d want to appeal to families,” Lonny said, throwing out another idea.
“You’ll need activities for children, then,” Joy said.
“Yeah.” Lonny was glad she’d followed his thought to its logical conclusion.
“I’d be able to help you with that,” she told him. “I could write out a list of suggestions.”
That was precisely what he’d wanted to hear. “Great!” He could see she was catching his enthusiasm.
“Did you check to see if there are other guest ranches in the area?”
“I did. There are a few in different parts of the state, but there aren’t any within a hundred miles of Red Springs.” Nor were there any operated by former rodeo champions.
Their eyes met, and Lonny realized they were smiling at each other. Again. Really smiling. “I’d appreciate any help you could give us,” Lonny said, forcing himself to look away. He could feel his pulse quickening, and it didn’t have anything to do with his excitement about the guest ranch, either.
“If you’ll excuse me a moment,” Joy said abruptly, “I—I’ll get us refills on the tea.”
“Sure.”
She stood as if she was in a rush and Lonny wondered if he’d said or done something to offend her. On impulse, he downed the last of his tea and hurried inside.
The darkness of her kitchen, after the sunlight outside, momentarily blinded him. When he could focus, he found Joy standing by the sink with her back to him. Letty would be pretty mad if she knew what he was thinking just then. Regardless, Lonny walked up behind Joy and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders.
His heart reacted wildly when she leaned against him, and Lonny breathed in the clean, warm scent of her hair.
“Don’t be angry with me,” he whispered close to her ear.
“Angry? Why?” she whispered back.
“I want to kiss you again.”
She released a soft indefinable moan. Then she turned and slid her arms around his neck. A moment later, his mouth was on hers with a hunger and a need that threatened to overwhelm him. Arms about her waist, he lifted her from the floor and devoured her mouth with his. He couldn’t take enough or give enough.
When she tore her mouth from his, he immediately dropped his arms and stepped away, fearing she’d rant at him like she had before, when he’d kissed her in the parking lot.
She didn’t.
Instead, she stared up at him with a shocked expression. She’d rested one arm on the counter as if she needed to maintain her balance, and held her free hand over her heart.
Lonny waited. He couldn’t even begin to predict what she’d say or do next.
“I…I—thank you for the f-flowers,” she stammered. “They’re l-lovely.”
“Can I take you to dinner?” he asked, not wanting to leave.
She blinked slowly. “It’s a little early, isn’t it?”
“An early dinner, then.” He was finding it difficult to remember Letty’s advice about going slow.
She didn’t answer for a long time. “Not tonight.”
Lonny swallowed his disappointment and nodded. “I guess I’ll be going.”
“Okay.”
Joy walked him to the front door and held open the screen. “Thank you for stopping by.”
He touched the brim of his hat and left. But as he approached the truck, his steps grew heavier. He’d completely fo
rgotten about Josh! But then he brightened. Judging by the way she’d kissed him, Joy had, too.
Sixteen
“S tupid, stupid, stupid!” Joy wanted to bang her head against the wall in frustration. Not only had she invited Lonny Ellison into her home, she’d allowed him to kiss her. Again. Worse, she’d practically begged him to. Then, complicating matters even more, she’d kissed him back. The man made her crazy and here she was, kissing him with an abandon that had left her nerves tingling. Instead of avoiding him, she was encouraging him.
One hand on her forehead, Joy closed the front door and, for good measure, emphatically turned the lock. She didn’t know if she was keeping Lonny out or keeping herself from running after him.
This was a disaster! Josh was due in two days. Two days. Because of their e-mails and telephone conversations, he was coming with the expectation of resuming their relationship.
Josh was perfect for her. His future was secure, he was handsome and congenial. They had a lot in common and their parents were good friends. At one time, he was everything she’d ever wanted in a man.
At one time—what was she thinking? She’d broken up with Lonny almost two years ago, after a relationship that had lasted barely three months. The fact that he was back in her life now could only be described as bad timing. She didn’t want him to invade her every waking moment—or to take up residence in her dreams, as he’d begun to do.
Totally confused about her feelings for Lonny, Joy returned to the kitchen and rearranged the wildflowers in their vase. She was touched by the image of him scrambling in ditches to collect them; it was quite possibly the sweetest gesture she’d ever received from a man. Anyone could call a florist and read off a credit card number, she told herself; not every man would go and pick his own flowers.
When she’d finished, Joy set the bouquet in the center of her kitchen table and stepped back to admire the flowers. Lonny was proud and stubborn, but he’d let her know he was sorry about what had happened two years earlier.