Fugitive Fiancée (11 page)

“Dinner is served,” Garrett announced, approaching the picnic table with three fully loaded plates balanced in his big hands.

Mimi grabbed one of the plates, a dollop of thick barbecue sauce dripping onto her thumb. She sucked it off, savoring the tangy flavor. Then she looked up to see Garrett staring at her, his gaze fixed on her mouth. Her skin tingled at the molten heat in his eyes.

“You forgot my extra coleslaw,” Lana said, inadvertently breaking the moment between them.

“Since when do you order extras of anything?” Garrett asked, seating himself beside Mimi. “You've never been a big eater.”

“I've never eaten for two before.”

Garrett's jaw sagged. “You mean…?”

“That's right.” Lana smiled. “You're going to be an uncle again.”

“Congratulations,” Mimi said as Garrett gave his sister a hug. “You must be very excited.”

“Dylan and I are both thrilled.” Lana picked up her plastic fork. “And Greg will love having a baby brother or sister so close to his own age. Even if we will have our hands full with two kids in diapers!”

“Well, if you ever need a baby-sitter,” Garrett said, his mouth curving in a half smile, “you know who to call.”

“Shelby?” Lana teased.

He nodded. “That's exactly right.”

They both laughed while Mimi looked back and forth between them. She envied their easy banter and the obvious love between them. She also wondered, not for the first time, how her life would have been different if she'd had a brother or a sister. Would her father have been happier with a son? Would she have always been so anxious to please him if she wasn't an only child? Would she have felt so obligated to make him happy?

“How about you, Mimi?” Lana asked, scooping up a forkful of baked beans. “Do you see children in your future?”

“I don't really know,” Mimi said, turning her at
tention to her plate and inwardly cursing the blush warming her cheeks. She could feel Garrett's gaze on her. “I hope so. I've always wanted a big family.”

“Speaking of families,” Garrett said, his tone turning serious. “I know Shelby has to work late at the diner tonight, but where are Michael and Jenny?”

“Jenny came down with the flu, and Michael's waiting on her hand and foot.” Lana laughed. “Which is exactly as it should be.”

Garrett wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Well, when Jenny's feeling better, I want to call a family meeting.”

“What about?” Lana asked.

“I think we should hire another private detective to track down LeeAnn Larrimore.”

Lana nibbled her lower lip. “I don't know. I've been thinking about it and wondering if it's really worth it. I mean, I want to find our birth mother as much as you do, but all we've found so far is dead ends. No matter what happens, I'll still think of Sheila Lord as our real mother. She's the one who raised and loved us.”

As Mimi listened, her opinion of Lana Van Zandt rose another notch. It took more than a pregnancy to become a parent. It took maturity and responsibility. It took true courage to raise a child.

And even more courage to give one up.

“This isn't a competition about who is the best mother,” he explained, setting his jaw. “It's about finding some answers. Finding the truth.”

“Maybe.” Lana set down her fork. “But it's obvious our birth mother doesn't want to be found. Maybe we should respect her wishes.”

“If she didn't want to be found, she shouldn't have sent that teddy bear and those baby sweaters twenty-five years too late.”

Mimi listened to them argue back and forth, hearing the empathy in Lana's voice and watching Garrett grow more and more stubborn.

“I'm not going to give up,” he said at last. “Not until I find her.”

“Then what?” Lana asked softly.

He hesitated. “I don't know. But I just can't let it go, Lana. Not when we've come this far.”

His sister reached across the table and laid her slender, pale hand over his roughened, tanned one. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I'll be happy when you bring that son of yours out to the ranch,” he replied, effectively changing the subject. “I've got a pony just his size.”

“Oh, no,” Lana said, shaking her head. “Greg can't even sit up yet!”

“You're never too young to ride a horse.”

Lana pushed her paper plate away and rose to her feet. “Maybe I'd better go find my husband before he gets the same crazy idea in his head and puts Greg on one of Connor's horses. Nice to meet you, Mimi.”

She smiled. “Same here.”

Lana walked toward the stable, turning to give her brother one last piece of advice. “I know it's been a really long time, Garrett, but don't forget to kiss your date good-night.” Then she laughed and skipped into the stable.

A ruddy blush suffused his cheeks. “She always did drive me crazy.”

“I like her,” Mimi said, taking a bite of creamy coleslaw.

“I like her, too,” Garrett grumbled, picking up a piece of uneaten barbecue from Lana's plate and transferring it to his. “But she still drives me crazy.”

“Isn't that what little sisters are supposed to do?”

“I guess so.” He turned to her. “Well, Mimi Banyon, how do you like your first barbecue so far?”

Banyon.
She'd forgotten about that little lie. How many others had she told since she'd arrived at the ranch? She knew instinctively that Garrett valued the truth almost as much as he valued loyalty. Would he forgive and forget her deceptions, no matter how small? How inconsequential?

Maybe she could find a way to make it up to him. If she could help him locate his mother, maybe her little masquerade wouldn't matter.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, reaching over to wipe a smudge of barbecue sauce off her chin with his index finger.

“No,” she whispered, suddenly hoping he heeded his sister's advice about that good-night kiss. “Everything is just right.”

 

S
EVERAL HOURS LATER
, Garrett walked Mimi to the front porch, aware of how quiet she'd become since they'd left the barbecue. The crunch of their boots on the gravel sounded louder than usual. Ever since Lana had given him that unwelcome advice about kissing Mimi good-night, he'd been unable to think about anything else.

Hell, he was twenty-eight years old and nervous as an adolescent about kissing his date good-night. Of
course, he had good reason. He'd kissed Mimi once before and knew firsthand how hard it was to
stop
kissing her.

Mimi stepped onto the front porch, then circled one of the wooden posts to look at the sky. “So many stars. You never see this many in the city.”

“Do you miss it?”

She shook her head. “Not at all. I thought I might, at first. But it's so different here. It makes me feel like a different person.”

He took a step closer to her. “I like you just the way you are.”

She looked at him. “Really?”

He was surprised at the doubt he heard in her voice. How could a beautiful woman like Mimi Banyon ever question her own appeal? He reached out one hand and gently traced the curve of her cheek. “Really.”

She placed one hand on his chest, her tentative touch sucking the breath from his throat. “I happen to like you, too, Garrett Lord.”

One corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile. “You don't think I'm too bossy?”

“Nothing I can't handle.”

He took a step closer to her. “Are you sure?”

“Depends.” Her voice was softer, almost a whisper. “What exactly do you want me to do?”

“Guess.”

She licked her lips, her gaze never leaving his face. “Put the pickup away?”

“Nope.”

“Check the cows?”

“Nope.”

“Tuck Hubert in for the night?”

“Not even close.” He closed the distance between them, until he could feel her soft breasts skimming his shirtfront. “I want you to kiss me, Mimi.”

She swallowed hard. “I thought you'd never ask.” Then she wound her slender arms around his neck and lifted her lips to his, finally quenching the thirst that had plagued him all evening.

Garrett wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, then he lifted her off the ground to give him better access to her mouth. Sometime during that long, deep kiss, he set her on the porch rail, her legs falling open just far enough for him to step between them.

His heart pounded hard in his chest as Mimi's kiss went on and on and on. She teased him with her tongue, fanning the delicious flames inside him.

“You're so beautiful,” he said, dropping tiny kisses on her jaw and nose and cheeks. “So damn beautiful. Kiss me again.”

She followed his orders without a murmur of protest. He groaned low in his chest as she pulled him closer. Close enough to smell the elusive apple scent of her hair. Close enough to hear her small gasp when his hands slid from her waist to her breasts, his thumbs lightly brushing the tips.

“Tell me when to stop,” he said huskily.

“Never,” she whispered, then kissed him again. Her fingers found the buttons of his shirt, smoothly gliding them free.

He closed his eyes as the last one fell open, the cool night breeze caressing his bare chest, soon followed by the even gentler touch of her fingers. Her slender hands slid up his chest and over his shoulders,
peeling off his shirt and dropping it onto the porch floor.

“That's much better,” she whispered against his mouth.

His fingers shook as he found the small pearl buttons on her silk blouse, clumsily undoing each one. He leaned down to place a kiss on her collarbone, glimpsing the delicate white lace of her bra.

“Garrett,” she breathed, tilting her head back.

His lips gently traced the valley between her breasts, his tongue skimming the lacy edge of her bra. Her hands dipped inside the waistband of his jeans, prickling his skin and sending his pulse into orbit. Blood roared in his ears as he lifted his head.

Mimi's cheeks were flushed, and her blue eyes shone bright in the moonlight. “What now, cowboy?”

He took one deep breath, then two, hoping it would help some blood return to his brain. He knew she was vulnerable. Knew she'd been ready to marry another man just a week ago. But despite his good intentions, he couldn't stop touching her. His mouth found hers again, and all his doubts melted in the heat that sizzled between them.

Their touches grew more urgent, and when her hands slid into the back pockets of his jeans and pressed him tightly against her, Garrett moaned into her mouth.

Without breaking the kiss, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her inside the house.

Hubert barked once as they crossed the threshold,
then watched in silence as Garrett carried her toward the bedroom.

This time he didn't intend to leave.

M
IMI DIDN'T
let herself think about anything except losing herself in Garrett's kiss. They stood in his bedroom, lit by the lamp on his bed stand and the moonlight streaming in through the window. She smoothed her hands over his hard chest, aware of the fast beat of his heart. Her heart raced in anticipation as he slowly backed her toward the bed, his mouth feathering light kisses across her lips and his hands fumbling with the clasp of her lacy white bra.

It fell away, and she heard the intake of Garrett's breath as he lowered his eyes to her bare breasts. The shadows in the room couldn't conceal the heat in his gaze.

“This is crazy,” he breathed at the same moment his hand reached out to cup her breast.

“Insane,” she murmured, closing her eyes at the myriad sensations rolling through her. Desire. Heat. Longing. No man had ever made her feel like this.

“You're delicious,” he murmured, his mouth nuzzling the tender skin beneath her ear.

Her hands rested on his broad shoulders, her fingers flexing against his taut muscles.

He tenderly kissed her lips again, his knuckles brushing her cheeks. Then he drew back and looked at her. “You are so damn beautiful.”

She stood on her toes to press a kiss on his chin, then laid her cheek on his chest. It grazed against soft russet hair and a taut nipple. He sucked in his breath as she turned to circle her tongue over it. Then her gaze fell on his scar, and she reached up to trace the puckered edges with her fingertips.

“Oh, Garrett,” she murmured, realizing how close that bullet had come to piercing his heart. How close she'd come to losing him before she'd even met him.

“We all have scars,” he whispered, catching her fingers in his hand and drawing her closer for another kiss. “Some are on the outside and some are on the inside.”

Then he kissed her long and deep, and she forgot about everything except how much she wanted him to touch her again. She moaned low in her throat as his hands slid along her bare skin, over her ribs and down to her waist. His fingers worked the button on the waistband of her jeans.

We all have scars.

Mimi stiffened and stepped away from him. There was just enough light in the room for her to see his brow furrow.

“What's wrong?”

“I…” Her voice trailed off as she struggled to find a reasonable explanation for her sudden reticence.
We all have scars.
She did, too. One he would certainly see if he removed her jeans. One he would ask her about. Or, more likely, figure out for himself.

She closed her eyes, wishing she could tell him the truth. But she'd never told anyone before. And she had good reason to believe Garrett wouldn't understand.

“I'm sorry,” she said at last, knowing how inadequate it sounded. At best, he'd accuse her of being a tease. At worst, he'd demand she leave.

But he didn't do either one. Instead, he walked to the window and braced his palms against the walnut frame. Then he pressed his forehead against the cool glass, breathing deeply.

She grabbed the terry-cloth robe off the end of the bed and hastily put it on. White-hot desire still pulsed inside her, and she wasn't sure she could resist if Garrett pulled her into his arms again.

But he didn't try to touch her. Instead, he turned to her, regret etched into his face. “I'm the one who's sorry, Mimi. Hell, I knew you weren't ready for this.”

“It's not your fault,” she assured him, feeling more guilty with each passing moment. This definitely wasn't the way she wanted their magical evening to end.

He took a step toward her. “Mimi…”

“You can sleep in your own bed tonight,” she said, backing toward the door. “It's my turn to take the sofa.”

“That's not necessary,” he began, coming another step closer.

“I insist.” With a force of will she didn't know she possessed, she looked into his eyes. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Garrett.”

“Mimi, wait.”

But she'd already whirled for the door, and nothing could make her stop. Tears of frustration blurred her vision as she walked into the living room, her arms wrapped around her waist. She wept silently, praying Garrett wouldn't follow her.

To her relief, his bedroom door stayed closed. She sank down on the sofa, trying to ignore Hubert, who danced around her ankles. At last, she reached down and picked him up, burying her hot, wet face in his fur.

“I'm such an idiot,” she said as Hubert's tongue licked the tears off her cheeks.

She leaned back against the sofa with Hubert perched on her lap. “How could I let things go so far?”

Hubert cocked his head.

She ran a finger over her swollen lower lip, remembering how Garrett's passion had sparked her own. How easily she'd fallen into his arms. How very willing she'd been to fall into his bed.

“How am I ever going to face him tomorrow?” she asked Hubert as she lay on the sofa and drew the lonestar quilt over her body.

Hubert settled in next to her feet, resting his jaw on her ankle, then heaved a long sigh.

She closed her eyes, worried about an even bigger problem.
How am I ever going to be able to leave him?

 

“I
'M A DAMNED FOOL
,” Garrett said as he scooped oats into Peanut's trough. “I can't believe I tried to seduce a woman still in love with her fiancé.”

It wasn't close to dawn yet, but Garrett had tossed and turned in his bed long enough. His
empty
bed. At last, he'd gotten up, dressed and made his way to the barn. At least there he wasn't tortured by the thought of Mimi sleeping only a few feet away from him.

He hadn't looked at her when he left. He'd been
afraid she might be awake. Afraid he might not be able to walk away from her this time. Hell, he'd barely survived it the first time.

He thrust one hand through his rumpled hair as he sank down on a bale of hay. A man shouldn't have to live with this kind of temptation. She'd told him she wasn't engaged any longer, but did she still have feelings for her fiancé?

She didn't kiss like a woman in love with another man. He didn't even want to think about her touching another man as she'd touched him last night. Another man looking at that breathtaking body of hers. And Garrett had only seen half of it.

Just enough to leave him wanting more.

“Garrett?”

His heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice. He swallowed hard. “Yeah?”

Mimi stepped into the barn, her arms wrapped around her waist. “What are you doing out here?”

“Chores,” he replied, wishing she didn't look so adorable. She wore a pair of blue overalls she'd purchased, along with a bright orange farm hat with furry ear flaps and a pair of cowboy boots that fit her properly.

He wrenched his gaze away from her and bent to scoop up another bucket of oats. “I wanted to get an early start. We've got a big day ahead of us.”

She closed the barn door behind her, then took off the hat, her blond curls delectably tousled. “What do you want me to do?”

The question echoed between them, reminding him of a similar question last night.

What exactly do you want me to do?

Kiss me.

Mimi's cheeks burned, making it obvious her memory was just as good as his. She tucked an errant curl behind one ear. “I can make breakfast.”

He cleared his throat. “That sounds good. I'm going to clean out the stalls, so I'll be there in about half an hour.”

“All right.” She stood for a moment, almost as if she wanted to say something more. Then, without another word, she turned on the heel of her cowboy boot and walked out the barn door.

Three weeks.
Three more weeks to keep her at arm's length. It might as well be an eternity. Especially now that he knew how she felt in his arms.

He wondered if it would take her the entire three weeks to get over her fiancé.

Garrett picked up a pitchfork, not sure he wanted to know the answer. The best thing he could do now was forget last night ever happened. Treat her like any other ranch hand.

And take a hell of a lot of cold showers.

 

M
IMI AND
G
ARRETT
developed a routine over the next week. They rose early, worked hard and avoided each other as much as possible. They definitely avoided any mention of the passionate night that had almost happened between them.

For the first few days, Mimi wondered if she'd be better off back in Austin. But she found solace in her work. Riding fence lines and caring for the cattle left her little time to feel sorry for herself. Calving season started in earnest, with three or four calves born each
day. She learned to operate the calf pullers without fainting, though she used them only as a last resort.

Garrett didn't take her target shooting again. Or attempt to kiss her. But despite the fact that she tried to avoid prolonged conversations with him, it didn't stop her from watching him whenever she had the chance.

Saturday afternoon, exactly one week after the barbecue, was just such an occasion. She stood in the living room near the large bay window, parting the drapes just far enough to watch him chop wood for the fireplace. He'd removed his shirt, his skin glistening with sweat and his muscles straining as he wielded the ax.

She flexed her fingers on the drapes, remembering how those muscles had felt under her touch. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing herself to think about mucking out the horse stalls. Whenever her thoughts strayed in the wrong direction, she made herself think about shoveling manure. It was one of the worst jobs on the ranch, and one she found herself doing far too often.

But at least it kept her busy.

The telephone rang, startling her from her thoughts. She turned away from the window and picked up the receiver. “Lord ranch.”

“Is this Mimi?”

She smiled when she recognized Dr. Hawkins's nasal voice. “Yes, how nice to hear from you.”

“Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I had to attend a symposium in San Antonio last week. But it did give me a chance to consult with some of my
colleagues about that unusual teddy bear you told me about.”

Her fingers tightened around the phone cord. “What did you find out?”

“That it's even more rare than I thought. If it's the genuine article. There's one way to find out. Lift up the tail….”

“Wait just a minute, please,” she said, then set down the receiver and raced for Garrett's bedroom. The teddy bear sat untouched upon his dresser. She hesitated a moment, remembering all that had happened the last time she'd been in this room. Then she grabbed the teddy bear, thankful it couldn't talk.

She hurried into the living room and picked up the phone receiver. “Okay, go ahead.”

“You should find a small emblem embroidered on the underside of the tail.”

She lifted the tail of the teddy bear, tracing the faded red stitching with one finger. “It's a heart with the initials A.B. inside of it.”

“That's it!” Dr. Hawkins didn't try to hide his excitement. “I believe you've got yourself a genuine Bruner Bear. That's worth quite a little bundle, Mimi.”

She sat on the sofa. “The value doesn't matter to me at the moment. I need to know the history.”

“It's short and sweet. Bruner Bears were handmade by a woman named Anna Bruner in Calloway, Texas, between the years 1909 and 1912.”

Her pulse picked up a notch. “Did you say Calloway?”

“That's right. I thought that would get your attention.”

Calloway, Texas, was in Sagebrush County, home
of the Sagebrush Conservation Society. Not only would they have information about the Bruner teddy bears and their creator, they might even have sale records. Or letters. Or something that could lead to information about LeeAnn Larrimore.

“I don't suppose you have a telephone number for the director of the Sagebrush Conservation Society?”

“As a matter of fact I do.”

Mimi picked up a pencil and jotted down the number Dr. Hawkins recited. Then she hugged the teddy bear to her chest. “Dr. Hawkins, I don't know how I'll ever thank you.”

“Just let me take a look at the Bruner Bear sometime. It's not every day you find a treasure like that.”

Mimi hung up the phone, realizing Dr. Hawkins had no idea about the potential of this teddy bear. It was the key not only to the past, but possibly to the future. If it could lead to Garrett's mother, would he finally be able to put his bitterness and unanswered questions to rest?

She turned toward the door, anxious to tell Garrett the good news. Then she hesitated. What if it was just another false lead? What if it got his hopes up for nothing?

Realizing the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint him, Mimi turned to the telephone and picked up the receiver.

Then she placed a call that could change his life forever.

 

P
AUL
R
ENQUIST
walked into the restaurant, pleased to see Harper already waiting for him. It was time for the man to start earning his inflated fee.

“Why the urgent meeting?” Harper asked as Paul sat across from him. “I was planning to come to your office tomorrow morning and give you an update. Not that I have much to report.”

“This couldn't wait.” Paul waved to the waitress. Then he dropped his bombshell. “I received a visit from the police today.”

Harper's eyes widened. “Did Rupert bring them in on the case?”

Paul shook his head. “No, they're not even aware Mimi is missing. In fact, they came to the house looking for her. Seems they just recovered her stolen car.”

“Stolen?”

“That's right. The cops raided a local chop shop and found Mimi's convertible among the cars. It had been stripped and repainted, but it still had the vehicle identification number etched on the motor. That's how they traced it to her.”