Maverick vs. Maverick Page 14

  “I couldn’t imagine a day that didn’t have some time outdoors.” She drew in another breath of the fresh, clean Montana air. It filled her heart, her soul, and reminded her all over again why she had chosen to live here. “It’s part of why I still live on the ranch. Every acre begs you to come outside and enjoy.”

  He smiled at her and shook his head. “I’ve never known anyone like you. You’re tough as nails in court, and at the same time, you’re sentimental and sweet and—”

  “You think I’m sweet?”

  “You,” he said, turning her into his arms, “are very, very sweet.”

  She shook her head and tried to look away from his hypnotic eyes. “You don’t know me very well.”

  “Then give me the chance to, Lindsay.”

  She wanted to stay in his arms. She wanted to soak up this night, and this man, and lose herself in his touch, his kisses. But every time she thought about doing that, she circled back around to one very central fact.

  Walker Jones wasn’t staying.

  He might enjoy a few days in Rust Creek Falls as a vacation, but he was not the type of man to stay here long term. And she had too much invested in her life here—in the people of this town—to ever leave.

  “Enjoy the evening, Walker,” she said as she stepped out of his embrace and pushed down the wave of disappointment in her chest. “It would be a shame to miss such a beautiful night.”

  Then she turned on her heel and headed back inside. As far away from Walker Jones as she could possibly get.

  * * *

  So, Lindsay Dalton was going to be a challenge. Walker should have expected that from the minute he’d met her. A part of him had hoped that with the lawsuit settled, they could pick up where they’d left off, but she’d made it clear that wasn’t going to happen. So he’d left the ranch last night, determined to forget her.

  Then he’d walked into Maverick Manor, and for the first time he’d actually taken a moment to look at the mural depicting several local families that had been painted on the wall above the reception desk. Lindsay was in it, along with her entire family. Even in the painting her blue eyes seemed to reach out to him, pull him in like a powerful magnet. And just like that he knew what he had to do. He’d canceled the airplane reservation he’d made and texted Anderson. He wasn’t leaving. Not yet.

  So here he was again, back on the Dalton ranch, bright and early the next day, helping Anderson with a nervous colt. Walker liked Lindsay’s brother. Liked her whole family, in fact. The minute he’d arrived today, Lindsay’s mother, Mary, had come out to greet him, then returned with sandwiches and icy glasses of lemonade for both him and Anderson.

  He and Anderson had talked about the business of running a ranch, a common ground on which Walker felt comfortable. He was surprised to find how much of ranching corresponded to running a business in general. Just as for him, it all came down to a bottom line and always making sure there was more money coming in than going out. Anderson seemed to be doing a hell of a job running the Dalton family business and clearly loved what he did. He talked with enthusiasm about every horse, every acre and about his plans for the future. If circumstances were different and Walker lived here, he could see the two of them being friends. It made him sad to think about leaving this family behind when he returned to Tulsa.

  Walker stood on the gate end of the corral, not really helping as much as playing colt control. Anderson was carrying on a one-sided conversation of soothing, melodic tones with the nervous horse. As he talked, Anderson gradually closed the gap between them. With each step Anderson took, the horse responded by prancing a bit from hoof to hoof. Anderson would pause, but he never displayed an ounce of frustration or impatience. He just kept up his steady shush-shush of words until the colt calmed again and they repeated the process. Approach, prance, calm. Until finally he was close enough to lay his hand on the horse’s neck. The colt froze, one ear cocked to hear Anderson’s murmurs. Another step, another dance of apprehension, more words, then Anderson slipped a bridle over the horse’s head. He stayed there a long time, calming and soothing, until the colt was ready to be led around the corral.

  As he watched the horse take tentative steps, still wary and ready to bolt at the first sign of danger, Walker realized the moment mirrored his relationship with Lindsay. He’d read definite interest in Lindsay’s eyes these past few days, in her kisses, in the way she had leaned into him last night. But every time he tried to get close, she backed away again.

  Anderson led the colt into a vacant stall, fed him some extra oats, then gave him one last pat before shutting the gate. The horse was still nervous but far less skittish, which Walker figured was a good sign. For the horse. Would it work that way with Lindsay?

  “Let’s saddle up a couple horses and take a ride,” Anderson said, breaking into his thoughts.

  “Sounds good.” As much as Walker liked Anderson, though, he would rather be taking a ride with Lindsay. He’d called her this morning and left a voice mail inviting her along, but she’d never replied to his message. Maybe he was fighting a losing battle with her or maybe—

  The door to the stables opened, ushering in a long shaft of sunlight—and Lindsay. She wasn’t in her work clothes; she’d changed into jeans, a button-down chambray shirt and a pair of cowboy boots. She had her hair back in a ponytail and a well-worn Stetson seated atop her head.

  His heart stopped for a second, and his breath caught in his throat while he waited for her to come inside. Right now, he was like that colt, not sure whether to move right or left or go in the opposite direction. So he stood there like an idiot and waited for her to make the first move.

  “Don’t tell me you’re putting someone else on my favorite horse,” she said to Anderson.

  Someone else. Not Walker. He told himself he wasn’t disappointed that she was acting like he didn’t even exist.

  Her brother grinned. “I wouldn’t dare. I was saddling her up for you.”

  Walker had been so distracted by Lindsay’s arrival that he hadn’t even noticed that Anderson had been readying a pair of horses, one a tall, stocky roan and the other a strong, lean chestnut. They flanked Anderson on either side, patient and ready.

  “Me? I’m not riding today.” Lindsay shook her head. “I just came by for a late lunch and then I’m planning on sequestering myself in Dad’s home office to get some work done. I have briefs to finish tonight.”

  Anderson didn’t listen. He led the horse up to Lindsay and put the reins in her hand, cutting off her protests. “Do me a favor. Take Walker out for a ride. Show him the property. I’ve got a...sick filly to look after.”

  Walker decided he liked Anderson twice as much now. Clearly, her brother was on Walker’s side and trying to give him a chance to spend time with Lindsay.

  Lindsay’s gaze narrowed. “Which sick filly?”

  “The one that needs me most.” Anderson grinned, then headed out of the stable before Lindsay could argue. Walker and Lindsay were now alone, with just the horses nickering softly from their stalls.

  Walker led his horse up beside Lindsay’s. “Does this mean you wanted to take me up on my offer to ride today?”

  She scowled. “I came home early to work. That’s all.”

  Uh-huh. She could have worked just as easily in her office, he was sure. Maybe the tough-as-nails lawyer didn’t want to admit she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He chuckled. “Are you always this difficult to date?”

  She raised her chin and stared up at him. “Are you always this stubborn?”

  “Yup. Especially against someone so...challenging.” He held her gaze until he saw a softening in her eyes and a flicker of a smile cross her lips. “Let’s just go for a ride and forget everything else. Okay?”

  For a second, he thought she was going to agree. Then the smile faded, and her gaze went to the open stabl
e doors. It was a beautiful October day, sunny and warm enough that they wouldn’t need jackets. A perfect day for being outside.

  She let out a breath and shook her head. “I can’t, Walker. Because in the end, it comes back to the same result. We want different things out of life. I think it’s better to not get involved before either one of us has to make some hard choices.”

  That would mean thinking about what was going to happen when he went back to Tulsa. Eventually, he would have to return. But for now, on this sunny day, Walker didn’t want to think about Oklahoma or work or anything other than this beautiful woman.

  “I bet you are one hell of a chess player,” he said.

  Lindsay’s horse shifted from hoof to hoof and let out a chuff. She ran a hand down the filly’s muzzle and then patted her neck. Curiosity and a bit of a smile lit Lindsay’s features. “I like chess, and have been known to play pretty competitively, yes. But what on earth does that have to do with us going for a ride?”

  “Because you are always thinking ten steps ahead. Me, I just want to enjoy a beautiful day with a beautiful woman. After that, who knows?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t live like that, with no plan for the future. I like to know what’s coming tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.”

  “And I like to take risks.” He stepped into one stirrup and swung his leg over the saddle, settling himself on the horse’s back. Staying here in Rust Creek Falls and trying to woo a woman who kept on resisting him was definitely taking a risk. He could have taken the safe path of going back to work, but Walker was tired of that. Tired of coming home to an empty, quiet apartment. To living an empty, quiet life. He wanted more. He wanted what he’d found in that dining room last night—and he knew Lindsay was a big part of that. “Some would say opposites attract and balance each other out. So come on, Lindsay, and take a ride with me. Without any idea how the day will end, or what tomorrow will bring. Have fun. Play hooky.”

  He didn’t want to think about tomorrow or next week or anything other than today. About filling this emptiness inside him with a woman whose smile warmed his heart.

  She hesitated, her hand on the reins, her gaze on him. The horse nudged Lindsay’s shoulder, clearly ready to go. “It is a nice day...”

  “It’s a spectacular day.”

  “And I do have some free time this afternoon...” Her mouth twitched as she considered his offer. He held his breath, waiting.

  When he’d been a kid, his grandfather had taken him camping one time and taught him how to start a fire. The spark was the first part, but not the most important, his grandfather had said. Anyone could make a spark, but not everyone had the patience to coax that spark into a fire. So Walker waited, hoping the spark of interest he’d read in Lindsay’s eyes would become a full-on flame.

  A second later, she swung herself up into the saddle and snapped the reins. “Just because I’m going for a ride with you doesn’t mean anything has changed.” The sliver of a smile on her face belied her words.

  “Of course not,” Walker said, but as they led the horses out into the sunshine and down the grassy path to the vast acreage beyond the ranch, Walker figured a lot had changed, and he was damned glad it had.

  Chapter Eleven

  The giant Rust Creek Falls river spread in glistening blue glory before them. Both the horses drank from the water’s edge while their tails flicked at the occasional fly. The day shone bright and happy, and as much as Lindsay wanted to say the opposite, she had to admit she was having a good time with Walker.

  They’d taken an easy ride around the property while she told him stories about the horses, the Dalton family land, the history of Rust Creek Falls, its namesake waterfall and the river that wound its way through town. He took a genuine interest in what she had to say, in the stories she told about the ranches and mills that had built Rust Creek Falls into what it was today. It was intoxicating to have a man pay such close attention to her, and it made her wish the ride could go on forever. Their conversation—now that they no longer had the lawsuit between them—flowed as easily as water in a creek.

  Walker unfastened a plaid blanket Anderson had strapped onto the horse’s saddle earlier—probably all part of her brother’s matchmaking scheme—and spread it on a grassy area beneath a wide oak tree. “Come on, have a seat. Enjoy the day.”

  Lindsay did as he asked, leaning back on her elbows and looking up at the dappled sun peeking behind the thick leaves. She was glad she’d agreed to go on the ride, not just because it was a glorious day, but because she was, despite her best intentions, truly enjoying her time with Walker. He was a smart, interesting man, one of the most interesting she’d ever met. He’d told her about his trips around the world, mostly business trips that took him to global destinations. He’d lived an interesting life, one far from the small town she’d inhabited most of her years. “Did you get to enjoy all those cities you went to?”

  “Not nearly enough. I tend to get into work mode and weeks will go by before I spend any time outside the office. Now I see what I’ve been missing by working too much and taking too few vacations,” he said. “Maybe I should move the corporate offices to a ranch and make outdoor lunches a mandatory thing.”

  For a second, she dared to hope he meant he was moving to Rust Creek Falls. But he hadn’t said that, and she needed to quit looking for signs that Walker wanted the same life she did. “I try to eat lunch outside whenever the weather is good. My dad does, too. When we’re in the office on the same days, we take our lunches over to the park and eat there. It’s nice, because I get to pick his brain and spend time with him at the same time.”

  “Your family is so close,” Walker said. “I used to have a friend in grade school who had a family like that. A whole bunch of brothers and sisters. It was always noisy in their house, but a good kind of noisy, if you know what I mean.”

  “I do.” She turned over onto one elbow and looked at Walker. In jeans and a T-shirt, he looked so comfortable, relaxed. Like an entirely different man from the suited one who’d walked into the courtroom. “I was just thinking last night how nice it was to hear that noise in the house again. I’ve missed having all my siblings home. We’re all growing up and going our separate ways.”

  “But at least you still get together for family dinners.” Walker picked up a leaf and tossed it to the side of the blanket. “It’s the kind of thing I wished I had growing up. We had plenty of money, a giant house and every single thing we could ask for, but none of us had a true home. There were no family dinners, no fights over the last piece of apple pie, nothing but this never-ending silence, it seemed. Like we were living in a bubble that no one dared break. Your family is loud and loving and awesome.”

  She didn’t tell him that her family liked him just as much. Almost all of her siblings had texted her today to tell her that Walker was a “real catch,” and that she should have him back to the house soon. “That warm space is the kind of environment you tried to create with the day care, right?”

  He scoffed. “Tried is the operative word. Turns out I don’t have the first clue how to do that. I talked to all kinds of interior designers and even a child psychiatrist before I designed the first Just Us Kids. And still, I didn’t get it right. Bella was the one who added those last few touches that made it seem like home.”

  “I’ve been inside the center. It is really inviting.” Even when she was suing Walker’s company, she’d had to admit that the day care he’d built was far from the sterile, no-personality ones she had seen in other locations. The kids at the day care had seemed happy, too, and the staff was very hands-on and clearly enjoyed their jobs.

  “Pretty much all of that was Bella Stockton’s doing,” Walker said. “Next time I open a location, I’m bringing her in to help with the design. She knew more about how to make it homey than all those high-priced designers I hired. And
definitely more than me.”

  “Bella is a pretty smart woman, and really nice. Her brother is the one whose wife died after their triplets were born.” From time to time, Lindsay had run into Bella when she was at Jamie’s house, helping out.

  “Are those the same triplets the entire town pitched in to care for?” Walker shook his head. “I swear, this town is like another planet.”

  “In a good way?”

  “In a really good way.” He rolled onto his arm and traced a line along her jaw. “There are a lot of things in this town that surprised me.”

  She didn’t want to believe him. Didn’t want to fall for his touch and his sweet words, but she couldn’t stop herself. Her heart melted, and a smile found its way to her lips. “Things like what?”

  “Things like...you.” His thumb skimmed along her mouth, then lingered on the bottom lip. He watched her, his eyes dark and unreadable, then slowly, ever so slowly, he closed the gap between them.

  He was going to kiss her, and all those intentions she’d had not to get closer to Walker seemed very, very far away. She wanted him now—heck, she’d wanted him from that very first day—and couldn’t remember a single reason why she shouldn’t be with him. Maybe they were going their separate ways, with him returning to Tulsa and her staying put, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy one sunny afternoon with the man who made her heart race, did it?

  She leaned in, meeting him halfway. When Walker’s lips met hers, the simmering desire in her veins became a heated rush of want, need. His lips moved harder against hers, his tongue dipping in to play. She roamed her hands over his back, down the soft cotton of his T-shirt, over the hard denim of his jeans.