The Princess And The Cowboy Page 10

  Long, heated moments passed, and when he finally lifted his head, Lily was breathless. Her hair was rumpled and his hand stroked the bare skin of her midriff beneath the hem of her T-shirt.

  “Now I remember why teenagers like trucks with bench seats,” Justin murmured.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t have switched to bucket seats and sports cars after high school,” Lily said, faintly breathless.

  “I’m selling my car when I get back to Seattle and buying another pickup,” Justin muttered, bending his head to trail his lips over her jawline. She tilted her head back, closing her eyes to better absorb the sheer pleasure of his warm mouth moving down her throat.

  Beneath her silk T-shirt, his hand stroked higher, closing gently over the curve of her breast.

  Lily stiffened and covered his hand with hers, the silk of her shirt separating his warm, hard hand from hers.

  “Justin,” she managed to get out, hardly recognizing the throaty voice as hers. “We have to stop.”

  “Why?” He nudged the scooped neckline of her T-shirt aside and kissed her shoulder.

  “Because I’m not ready to go to bed with you.”

  He lifted his head, his fingers going still. For a long moment, his heavy-lidded eyes searched hers. “Are you sure? Because right now, honey, you sure as hell feel ready.”

  Her lips quirked as his thumb brushed over the peak of her breast. “Well, I’m not.”

  He lifted an eyebrow and tested the swollen tip of her breast with the pad of his thumb again.

  “Parts of me may be more than ready, but the rest of me,” she said with conviction, “is not.”

  He sighed and took his hand out from beneath her blouse, smoothing the silk back over her shoulder. “If you say so.”

  When she moved to push away from him, he trapped her hands against his chest. “You’ll tell me, right? The minute all of you is ready to say ‘yes’?”

  “I will,” she promised.

  “Good.” He pulled her back for a quick, hard kiss and then released her, easing upright as she moved back to her side of the seat. “Hey.” He caught her, his hand closing over her forearm. “Don’t go so far away, come back here.” He tugged gently and she slid closer until she was tucked against him, her shoulder beneath his. “That’s better.”

  He switched on the engine, twisting to rest his arm along the back of the seat and look out the rear window as he turned the truck around.

  He drove with his right arm draped over Lily’s shoulder, keeping her close as they drove down off the mountain and back to the ranch.

  That evening created a shift in their relationship. Over the next few days, Lily slowly grew less wary of Justin and began to believe that perhaps the Justin she watched interacting with his ranchhands and teasing Agnes was for real. In fact, she realized the Justin she’d seen since they’d arrived in Idaho was very much like the man she’d met in Seattle, before that dinner date when he’d inexplicably told her he was leaving her.

  Chapter 7

  For the next few days, Justin devoted most of his time to Lily and Ava, although he spoke with his ranch foreman each morning and evening to discuss business.

  Early one morning, Justin settled Ava on his shoulders and, with Lily, walked leisurely around the ranch buildings. They stopped in the barns so Ava could see the horses, which she had fallen in love with at first sight. Then they left the dim, fragrant barn for the bright sunlight.

  “What’s down there?” Lily asked, pointing at the dirt road that curved past the bunkhouse and disappeared around a small stand of trees.

  “The foreman’s house. There’s a nice little spring just the other side of the trees and a small creek.”

  “Oh, Ava would love that! Can she wade in the water?”

  “Sure. But it’s cold, even at this time of year,” he warned.

  Despite wearing matching hats, both Lily and Ava’s cheeks were flushed when they reached the shade of the trees.

  “Whew.” Lily fanned herself and reached up to test Ava’s face with the back of her fingers. “You’re warm, sweetie.”

  “August in Idaho gets hot,” Justin agreed. “It’s a little cooler under the trees.”

  The small spring bubbled out of the ground in the center of the small grove. Justin lowered Ava’s feet into the water and she shrieked and kicked, spraying the adults. When she tired of the play, he hoisted her back onto his shoulders and she grasped handfuls of his hair.

  They followed the creek through the grove and emerged on the other side.

  “Who lives here?” Lily asked, pointed to a small two-story house with a neatly fenced yard.

  “Bob Draper and his wife.”

  “It’s nice,” she said, noting the carefully tended plot of garden at the rear.

  “I lived here when I was eight.”

  His words startled Lily. Justin was normally very reticent about his childhood. “It must have been a great place for a boy,” she said carefully. “I bet you loved the woods.”

  He nodded, a slow smile curving his mouth. “In the winter, the creek would freeze and the deer and rabbits would leave tracks in the snow.” He pointed at the second story. “My room was under the eaves upstairs. I could watch the deer on the bluff in back of the big house in the evening.”

  “You loved it here,” Lily said, hearing the affection in his voice.

  “Yeah, I did.” His face grew somber. “My mother left me here when I was eight. Her father was the foreman. I’d never met my grandfather before and I wasn’t expecting much after living with my mother. But he was a good man.”

  “How long did you live with him?”

  “Four years. He caught pneumonia and passed away when I was twelve. His wife, my step-grandmother, wasn’t well herself and since my mother was dead, she called Harry to come get me.”

  Lily caught her breath. “Your mother died?”

  Justin shot her a quick glance. “She died of an overdose about a year after she left me here,” he said without emotion.

  “Oh, Justin.” Lily had had no idea his early years had been so marred with tragedy.

  “I didn’t want to leave with Harry.” Justin’s lips quirked in a wry smile. He turned and pointed at the mountains that rose beyond the house and pastures, where white-faced Hereford cattle grazed. “I packed and headed for the hills, figuring I’d just wait him out and he’d leave, go back to the city. But Harry sent one of the ranchhands after me, and Gray came with him.”

  “Gray was here, too?” Lily asked, wanting him to keep talking.

  “Yeah, and he told me Harry offered to buy this ranch and sell it back to me when I was grown, if I’d go live with him until I was older, had gone to school, et cetera. So I did—flew back to Seattle with them and stayed, but I spent summers here on the ranch. And as soon as I was out of college, I took over full time.” He shrugged. “That’s pretty much the story of my life.”

  “It’s quite a story,” Lily said softly. But not all of your life, she thought. He hadn’t talked about the first eight years with his mother. She could only guess that those years hadn’t been good.

  She reached out and took his hand, threading her fingers through his, and they walked back through the woods to his home.

  Later that afternoon, Lily and Ava joined Agnes in the kitchen. Ava happily played with her toys on the floor in the corner, safely away from stove and sink, while Lily helped Agnes prepare dinner.

  “We took Ava to the creek by the foreman’s house this morning,” Lily said as she tore lettuce into a large teak salad bowl. “Justin said he used to live there with his grandfather when he was a little boy.”

  “Yes, that’s when the Millers owned the ranch and his granddaddy was the foreman.”

  “Did you work here then?”

  “Yes, I’ve been the housekeeper here for more than thirty years.” Agnes laughed. “Don’t look so surprised, I turned seventy-two on my last birthday.”

  “I never would have guessed,” Lily said truthfull
y. “You look much younger.”

  “It’s all this fresh country air and good living.” The older woman winked at her. “Not to mention chocolate at least once a week.”

  “Ah, yes, chocolate,” Lily agreed with a laugh.

  “Did Justin say very much about living here with his grandfather?”

  “He talked about how much he loved it here, watching the wildlife, the snow.” Lily rinsed two large tomatoes and began to slice them. “He really loves it here, doesn’t he.”

  “Yes, he does.” Agnes paused, spoon in hand over the stove, and looked at Lily. “It’s none of my business, I know, but I feel as if Justin’s the son I never had, so I’ve got to ask—are you going to marry him this time?”

  “This time?” The phrasing seemed odd to Lily and she glanced up. Agnes’s expression was a mix of concern and determination.

  “I’m only asking because I don’t want to watch him go through any more pain. He nearly worked himself to death over the past couple of years and hardly ever smiled. When he showed up with you and Ava this week—well, it wasn’t hard to figure out that the two of you must have split up about the time Justin stopped smiling.” Agnes shook her head. “I’ve known that boy since he was eight and I’ve never seen him as happy as he’s seemed with you and Ava.”

  Lily was stunned. Justin had grieved after he left her in Seattle?

  “I didn’t break up with Justin, Agnes, he broke up with me. I was head over heels in love with him.”

  “So what happened? Not that it’s my business,” Agnes hastened to add.

  “I thought he didn’t love me,” Lily said slowly. “He said he thought we should date other people, hoped we’d remain friends—the usual lies a guy tells a woman when he’s leaving her. To be honest, I was in such shock when he told me I don’t remember a lot of the rest of it.”

  “Oh, my.” Agnes frowned in consternation. “I assumed you’re the one who broke up with him. It never occurred to me that it could have been the other way around, especially not when I had to watch him every day. That boy was miserable.”

  Lily stared at the knife, forgotten in her hand, and the half-sliced tomato on the carving board. “But why did he leave unless he wanted to?”

  “I have no idea. But after seeing the two of you together over the past few days, I hope you get it worked out this time around. I’ve never seen him so happy.” Agnes eyed her keenly. “And unless I’m mistaken, you’re still in love with him, aren’t you…?”

  Ava chose that moment to shriek, startling both women. She’d tangled her hair in the curves of a plastic rattle and was tugging on it but it wouldn’t pull free.

  Lily quickly wiped her hands and hurried to pick her up, untangling her hair and soothing her sobs. By the time the little girl was settled on the floor once again, the moment to answer Agnes’s question was lost.

  But Lily couldn’t get their conversation out of her mind and continued to think about what Agnes had revealed about Justin.

  Maybe there were deeper reasons why he’d broken up with her. But if there were, why hadn’t he explained?

  Chapter 8

  The comments from Agnes gave Lily new hope that she and Justin might have a future together. Determined though she was to have a frank conversation with him, however, there were several duties that demanded priority. Besides, she told herself, she wanted uninterrupted time with Justin, and that could happen only after Ava was tucked in and asleep for the night. She also needed to make her nightly call to her boutique manager in Seattle. So after she and Justin said good-night to Ava, she told him she’d join him downstairs after making a few calls.

  “Hi, boss.” Meggie’s familiar friendly voice was as clear as if she was in the next room instead of one state away. “How are our two city girls enjoying the country life?”

  Lily laughed. “Just fine. The ranch is beautiful—the mountains, the horses, the cattle, the wildflowers.” She paused to draw a breath. “And the house is gorgeous—it’s built of huge logs and looks rustic on the outside, but the interior is positively luxurious. And the rooms feel homey and comfortable, despite the fabulous furnishings. You’d love it, Meggie, you really would.”

  “I’m looking forward to seeing it—you are going to invite me to visit you when you’re living there, yes?” She teased.

  “What makes you think I’m going to be living here?” Lily said mildly.

  “I’ve seen the way your hunky cowboy looks at you,” Meggie said with assurance. “Trust me, you’re going to be living there. Justin’s a man you should keep, and he looks more than willing.”

  I hope you’re right, Lily thought. “How’s everything at your end? Any problems with the shop?” she said aloud.

  For the next few moments they discussed the highlights of Meggie’s workday, the staff and the clients who’d dropped in at the boutique. Once again, Lily was reminded how very lucky she was to have an employee as efficient and reliable as Meggie.

  After agreeing to check in the following evening, Meggie said good-night and Lily dropped the portable phone back into its charger. The house was quiet when she left her room and she paused to ease open the nursery door and slip inside. The glow from the night-light allowed her to see the crib and Ava, sleeping soundly on her back, arms flung wide, her black lashes making silky dark crescents against her downy skin.

  Lily spread a light cotton blanket over the toddler, tucking it in at her waist, and left the room.

  The plush carpet muffled her footsteps as she walked quietly down the hall toward the stairway. The door to Justin’s bedroom stood ajar and lamplight inside threw a bar of gold into the hall. She thought she heard what sounded like a closet door sliding open and she paused, listening.

  “Justin?” she called softly, knocking on the polished wood panel.

  “Come in.”

  His voice was muffled, and when she stepped inside, she learned why. He stood with his back to her at the open closet. He wore only a pair of jeans, slung low on his hips, and the powerful muscles of his shoulders, biceps and bare back gleamed in the lamplight.

  He glanced over his shoulder and saw her, a grin lighting his face. “Hey, did you reach Meggie?”

  “Yes, everything’s fine at the shop,” Lily said, her throat going dry as she stared, unable to look away from the ripple and flex of powerful muscles. He slipped a cotton shirt off a hanger and shrugged into it as he turned to face her. The button-front shirt hung open down his chest, the blue cotton framing the strong column of his throat, powerful pecs, sleek washboard abs and the hair-roughened indentation of his navel. She had to struggle to remember what she’d meant to say. “And I just peeked in on Ava. She’s sound asleep.”

  “Good.” He walked toward her, his mouth curving in a smile that melted her bones. “That means we’re alone, with the whole evening ahead of us and nothing to distract us.”

  He pushed the door closed and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, dropping his head to nuzzle the sensitive skin of her neck, just below her ear.

  She felt surrounded by him, his body strong, solid and protective at her back. She leaned into him and his arms tightened, pressing her closer. The temptation to turn and kiss him, to give in to the intimacy she craved, was strong, but Lily knew she couldn’t until she had an answer to the question that plagued her. It was too important. “Justin, I talked with Agnes earlier today,” she murmured, instinctively tilting her head to the side to give his lips better access. “I need to ask you a question, and I need an honest answer from you.”

  “Sure, honey.” He kissed a trail down her throat to her shoulder, slipping the strap of her white cotton camisole top lower so his lips brushed her bare skin.

  Lily shivered, licked her dry lips and swallowed, struggling to remember what she needed to ask him. “I thought you broke up with me in Seattle because you wanted to date other people and not me.”

  Their bodies were pressed together from head to thighs and Lily felt his big body tense.


  “But Agnes told me you were visibly unhappy when you came back to the ranch,” she continued. “And the time frame seemed to indicate you left me and almost immediately returned to Idaho.”

  “That’s right,” he admitted, his voice husky. “I left Seattle two days after I said goodbye at the restaurant.”

  Lily twisted in his arms to look up at him. “Then you didn’t break up with me because you were tired of me?”

  “No.”

  “Then tell me—why?”

  “Is the reason really important?” he said, his eyes dark, his body strung with tension although his hands at her waist remained gentle.

  “Yes.” She caught his face between her palms. “I need to know what happened to us then. If I don’t know why you left before, how can I trust it won’t happen again?” When he remained silent, she tried again. “Was it another woman? Did you…?”

  “No, hell no.” His adamant denial was instant.

  Relief flooded Lily. “Then tell me, please.”

  His eyes were bleak, dark with an emotion Lily couldn’t identify.

  “I thought I was doing the right thing by letting you go. You’re the kind of woman a man marries—you deserve a man who’s capable of being a good husband and father. I think I knew from the first that you wanted marriage and kids, but I couldn’t leave you alone. The day before I said goodbye, we met for coffee at University Village, remember? There was a mother with a baby ahead of us in line at the coffee shop and you told me you’d like to have at least two children. The truth hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t continue taking up your time, not when you should be free to connect with a man who could give you what you needed and deserved—a solid guy who would make a good husband.

  “That wasn’t me. Not even close. I knew it. I’d always known, but selfish son of a bitch that I am, I ignored it because I didn’t want o give you up.”

  “You said goodbye because you didn’t think you can be a good husband?” she asked in disbelief.