Midnight Wrangler (6 page)

For the first time during the encounter, the smile she flashed him seemed genuine and not forced. “I don't need glasses. It's true.”

“Well, you don't look the same.”

She lifted her brow high. “Well, it has been twenty-five years.”

She'd taken the comment as an insult, but she was wrong. He hadn't meant it as such. Rohn was at the age he knew experience created beauty, not youth.

“I meant, you look even better than you did back then.”

“I'm not sure I believe you, but thanks.” She smiled again, softening a bit, warming up to him.

He wanted to see her relax, even for a little bit. Throughout the whole conversation she'd seemed a little stiff. A bit like she'd rather be anywhere but there talking to him. Her words were polite enough, but there was something about her. A stiffness in her spine. A shift in her gaze as it darted away from his whenever their eyes met. A nervousness he sensed in her when there was no need for it.

They were old friends. Hell, so much more than friends. For one summer, as seen through the eyes of teenagers, they'd been each other's worlds—until she'd gone off and never came back.

If she hadn't left, what would have happened? There was a good chance he never would have met Lila. He probably would have married Bonnie. If he had, would they still be together today instead of him being alone and lonely?

Rohn pushed the traitorous thought aside. Guilt hit him hard for even thinking it. He wouldn't trade the years of happiness he'd had with Lila for anything in the world. Even as lonely as he was now without her.

He drew in a breath, centering himself, and forced his mind back to the here and now and the woman in front of him. “So, anything I can help you with at your father's place? Moving boxes? Fixing things? I'm strong and I'm pretty handy when I put my mind to it.”

“No, thank you. I couldn't accept your help.”

He drew his brows down. “Why not?”

“I wouldn't feel right.”

“Nonsense. That's what old friends are for.”

She waved off his offer. “I'm just going to rent a truck for a day or two to haul some stuff from the house. I'm going to have to make a few trips to the dump. And I figured I'd donate the clothes and some of the furniture to the church.”

“I've got a truck you can borrow.”

“No, Rohn. I couldn't—”

“I insist.”

Bonnie hesitated. “Okay. But I'm paying you for using it.”

“Nope. No payment necessary.” He shook his head.

“No, I insist.”

“Bonnie, I won't take your money.”

“Then I won't borrow your truck.” She folded her arms, standing firm and stubbornly.

“A'ight. We'll discuss that later.” No way was he letting her give him money to use his truck, but that could be battled out at a future date.

“Yes, we will.”

“I got three young guys working for me with good strong backs, too, if you need 'em.” When she opened her mouth, he held up one hand. “We'll discuss your trying to pay them later, too.”

She couldn't move heavy furniture by herself. If she insisted on refusing free help, the least he could do was offer her his hired help . . . and if he happened to stop by and check on the guys while they were there and got to spend some more time with Bonnie, that wouldn't be so bad, either.

Finally, Bonnie dipped her head. “All right. Thank you. I might take you up on that since I don't know anybody in town to hire.”

“Good. Glad to hear it. And if you need anything else, a friendly ear to bend about, I don't know, the market for sales of farmland, or the current state of interest rates, give me a call. My phone number's listed. Lerner comma Rohn, spelled with an
h.
Remember?”

She rolled her eyes toward the sky. “I remember.”

Rohn realized he'd held her outside in the heat for a long time. “You here to eat?”

“Yeah.”

“Want some company?” Damn, that was presumptuous of him but he wasn't letting this chance pass him by.

“Um, I was going to grab something to take out. You know, get right back to work at the house. So, is this place new?” She'd effectively declined his offer and changed the subject.

The question was, why? What was making her so uncomfortable? The situation she had to deal with or him?

While he figured out the answer to that question, he'd have to keep things casual. Play it cool. God, he hated being in this position. It was like they were back in high school again. Playing games.

“Eh, I guess it opened about six months ago. Best barbecue around as far as I can tell. My ranch hands love it, and considering the amount of barbecue they can put away, that's saying something.”

“Sounds good.” There was that look again, like she wanted to escape.

This time, Rohn decided to let her. “Actually, I'm bringing lunch back to the crew so I should probably go in, get what I came for, and head back to the ranch.”

The breath she drew in seemed filled with relief.

“Me too. Best I get moving myself.” She motioned toward the door.

He nodded. “One bit of advice, the brisket and the jalapeño mac and cheese combo is the way I'd go, if I were you.”

“Thank you. I'll keep that in mind.” She turned for the door and he followed her inside.

Bonnie Blue. The first girl to steal his heart and the first girl to break it. He watched her move toward the counter. Her back to him as if they hadn't been as close as any two people could be once upon a time. He should let her go about her business while he went about his. Just be happy they'd had a chance to say hey and catch up, and leave it at that.

That would be the smart thing to do.

Sometimes, Rohn wasn't so smart. It seemed that was especially true when it came to Bonnie.

The tractor cut wide swaths across the dirt, sending whirls of dust into the dry Oklahoma air. Rohn felt a bead of sweat roll down his cheek. He wiped the back of one hand across his face.

Today's job entailed plowing the field to prepare the soil for a crop of hard red winter wheat that would be planted this fall for harvesting next spring.

It was a hot one today. He hit the brake with his booted foot and pulled back on the throttle, letting the engine idle as he swiped off his hat. He took out his handkerchief and wiped the perspiration from his forehead.

He glanced across the field, squinting through the glare of the sun as a figure came out of the house and began the walk toward the freshly plowed field.

Talk about hot . . . the sight of Bonnie Martin in her cutoff jean shorts made the temperature ratchet up another twenty degrees or so. He watched her pick her way across the field in her boots.

When she got closer, she waved to him. Rohn lifted a hand and waved back. He could hop down and go meet her halfway, but truth be told he was enjoying watching her walk.

The sway of her hips as she traversed the field was a sight to behold. So was the way she kept glancing at him and then away when she realized he was watching her. She was shy. He didn't know many girls at school who were. Most were the type to expect a guy to look their way, and get pissed off when he didn't.

Finally, she reached him and glanced up. “Hey.”

“Hey. What's up?” He leaned forward, bracing against the steering wheel.

“I thought you might be thirsty.” She held up the glass of sweet tea she'd carried out with her. Funny, he'd been so busy watching the girl that he hadn't even noticed what she held in her hand.

Her mamma's tea was good. He'd had it the other day when he'd come to meet with her dad to get this job. But the tea could never be as sweet as Miss Bonnie Blue herself. He'd like to sample her lips and see if she tasted as good as she looked.

He reached down and took the tea, pressing the cold glass to his parched lips. Swallowing, he felt the cool liquid wet his throat. It washed away the dust and dryness.

One thirst was quenched, but not his other one. He had a hankering for some more of Bonnie. Time alone with her was something he could definitely do with, and now was the perfect time to lay the groundwork for that.

“So, I was thinking about going to see that new movie playing in town. You think you'd like to go and see it with me tonight?”

Her eyes widened at the invitation. “Um. Okay.”

It wasn't an overwhelming response. He would have liked better if she'd said,
hell, yes
. But it was still a yes, and that was just as good. He'd take an okay any day over a flat-out no.

Biding his time to stretch out this little visit, he took another swallow of tea before he said, “I think the show starts at seven. So I'll pick you up here between six fifteen and six thirty?”

“No.” She surprised him with the intensity of her
no
. “I mean, I'll meet you at the theater. If that's okay.”

“A'ight.” He didn't know why she wanted to meet there rather than have him come and get her, but he was willing to work with her to make her happy. “Out front?”

“Yeah, that's good.”

“Okay. I'll see you then.” He chugged the remainder of the tea and handed the glass back to her. “Thanks for that. I appreciate it.”

“No problem. Anytime.” She focused her blue eyes on him and then yanked her gaze away. He hoped by the end of tonight, she'd stop being shy around him, but for now, it was kind of cute.

“I better get back to work. Don't want your father getting mad at me.”

“No, you don't. So I guess I'll see you later then.”

“That you will.” He waited for her to move so he could start plowing again, but she stayed standing right there.

“Rohn, maybe don't mention the movie to my mother or father.”

“Okay. I won't.” He wanted to ask why, but he didn't.

He really did have to get back to work. He'd ask her outright later if she didn't volunteer the information.

She looked relieved. “Thanks.”

“Sure.” He nodded. “No problem.”

“All right. So I'll see you later. At the theater.”

“Yup.”

Finally, she turned and after one backward glance, made her way back.

He could have shifted into gear and gotten right back to work the moment she was clear, but instead he watched her walk away all the way to the house. Only when she'd gone inside did he glance around him.

Good thing Mr. Martin was nowhere to be seen or Rohn might have been in trouble for slacking off.

Rohn eased his foot off the brake and hit the throttle. He heard the sound of the engine react to the change. The machine jerked into motion and Rohn made his way down the row.

The job was monotonous, but now he had something to occupy his mind. He'd have plenty to think about for the rest of the day thanks to his date with Bonnie on the horizon.

And hell yeah he'd have even more to think about tomorrow, because that would be the day after his first date with Bonnie Blue. The first date of many, he hoped. If things went well, he'd have lots of good memories to relive as he bounced in the tractor seat tomorrow.

With the taste of the sweet tea still on his tongue, Rohn hoped to have the taste of Bonnie there shortly.

Bonnie drove up to her former home for the second time in less than a couple of hours, but this time, the paralyzing dread wasn't riding her.

Maybe that was because of the incredible smell of the barbecue takeout that filled the car's interior. It was like an invisible yet physical hug surrounding her.

It was called comfort food for a reason, she supposed. Even just the scent soothed her nerves. Of course, she could also be feeling different after coming face-to-face with Rohn. It hadn't been as horrible as she feared. He'd been pleasant. Friendly. Maybe he didn't hate her for leaving the way she had.

The overwhelming guilt from the past was still there, but surprisingly she'd also felt pleasure at seeing the familiar face of her old boyfriend who seemed to only get better with age.

The goofy smile of his youth had turned sexy and alluring. His hard football-player's body had filled out a bit, making him look even more solid and strong. And those eyes—his steely gaze still had the power to captivate her.

She sighed. Her moment of diversion was over. She opened the car door and grabbed the bag of food and her purse. Time to get back to reality.

Inside the house seemed stifling. Mentally. Physically. The clutter made the walls feel too close even as the hot air pressed against her. She probably shouldn't have turned off the A/C to open all the windows on a day this sweltering, but she couldn't bear feeling so contained. So trapped.

Maybe once some of this stuff was out of the house it would seem better. Once the heavy curtains were taken down and the rooms bare, she'd feel better.

There was a lot of work ahead of her, but first, food.

Rather than let the smothering atmosphere of the house ruin her meal, she carried the bag of takeout outside. There was still an old picnic table in the yard. She walked to it now and noticed the grass had been recently cut.

Given the state of her father's health, she had a feeling she had one more thing to thank Andrew for next time she saw him.

That brought up another concern—future maintenance of the property until she sold, or rented, or did whatever she decided to do with the place.

This gift from her father, this bequest, was not a welcome one.

It was almost as if he knew it would be a burden on her. Then again, maybe she was being paranoid. Lack of food could do that to a person.

Her blood sugar was probably too low at this point, after the long drive and nothing but an energy drink in her system for the last few hours on the road.

It didn't help her hunger that the food smelled good enough to make her mouth water, but she had chosen to drive all the way home before taking even one bite.

That could be corrected pretty fast. She broke into the bag and saw they'd put both paper napkins and a plastic fork and knife in the bag. Good, because she'd been in such a hurry to get out the back door, she hadn't thought to stop and grab those items from the kitchen.

Opening the lid of the container, she got the first look at what she'd been smelling for long enough to have her stomach grumbling in protest.

She'd ordered what Rohn had recommended—the combo plate. Scooping up a forkful of mac and cheese, she took her first taste.

The flavor filling her mouth was like sunshine. Bonnie couldn't help but smile. She had doubted it could be as good as Rohn had promised, but it was. She'd remember not to doubt him again.

There was no need for the knife, since the smoked brisket was so tender it broke apart with the fork. She took a taste and one more time she was struck with an explosion of sensation. It was as if her senses had been dormant and just now had awoken.

How could a takeout combo plate of barbecue accomplish all that? Though maybe it was more than the food. Maybe she had put herself into a state of hibernation—a method of self-preservation when she'd fled this place all those years ago. It took coming home to bring her back to life.

She must have been hungrier than she'd thought because though the portion was generous and she had been sure she'd have to put the leftovers in the fridge, she finished every last bite. All that remained was a partial container of barbecue sauce.

The problem was now that Bonnie was done with her food she had no more excuse to sit idle, aside from not wanting to go back inside the house.

Rallying the motivation to force herself into motion, she hoisted her stiff body off the old wooden bench. She put the garbage into the takeout bag and carried it to the trash can.

Walking through the kitchen door, she realized it wasn't as overwhelming being in the house as it had been before. Each time she walked in, it affected her a little less.

By the time she finished and was ready to sell, she should be immune to the place and its memories.

Bonnie moved down the hallway past what had been her parents' room years ago. How many nights had she heard the battle raging inside that room during their years of marriage? All while she hid her head beneath the covers with nothing but her teddy bear for comfort, even when she was well into her teens.

Her own room was just beyond. She couldn't bring herself to start with it, either. Too many memories. She turned back around and headed back to the kitchen.

The kitchen was the heart of the home, and she'd need it to be clean and serviceable while she stayed there. Most importantly, nothing bad had happened in the kitchen, probably because her mother served her father's meals in the dining room. The kitchen was her and her mom's domain and she was going to bring it back to the way it used to be.

“Mom.” Bonnie came through the back door, but her mother wasn't in the kitchen.

She made her way through the house and back toward the bedrooms. She heard raised voices. Her parents' bedroom door was open, but she hesitated to go inside. It sounded as if her mother and father were fighting, but she couldn't tell about what. The more she considered, the more she realized she didn't want to know. She just wanted the argument to stop.

“Mom.” She said it again to let them know she was there, hoping it would put an end to whatever their heated discussion had been about.

Her mother came out into the hallway. “Yes, baby.”

“I was wondering if I could go to the movies tonight. There's a new show playing in town. I could take my bike. You wouldn't have to drive me. It starts at seven so I wouldn't be out too late.”

“Sure you can go. With who?”

“Um.” Bonnie knew it was a risk telling her mother about going with Rohn. What if her father objected? What if he fired Rohn for asking her out? He wouldn't want to see her ever again after that.

Her mind scrambled, but there was really only one thing to do. Lie. Only one person would be believable in this scenario. “I'm meeting Melody there.”

“Oh, that's nice. She's a nice girl.”

“Yeah, she is.” Poor Melody was nice, and now also Bonnie's cover for her secret date with Rohn.

Her father came out into the hallway. “What's going on?”

“Bonnie's going to the movies in town tonight.” Her mother answered for her and Bonnie was happy to let her. When her father wore this expression, there was no way to make him happy.

“Who with?”

“Melody.” Bonnie took over answering the questions. She felt guilty enough about the lie. She didn't want her mother to have to repeat it.

Her father seemed to dismiss her evening plans after that, as he moved to the kitchen to glance out the back window. “That kid about done with that field yet?”

“Um, almost. He's got like two more passes.” Bonnie realized she probably shouldn't know in such great detail what Rohn was doing. Even if the truth was she watched him every second she could. “At least that's what it looked like the last time I walked past the window.”

Jeez, she had to be more careful. The most amazing thing of her life had just happened. Rohn had actually asked her out. She'd dreamed of this day and it had really happened. She wasn't going to jeopardize it by having her father decide she shouldn't be dating the hired help.

Though she had a feeling her father wouldn't like her dating anyone, no matter who it was. Yes, she'd turned eighteen last month, but he was the kind to remind her often enough that while she lived under his roof, she also lived under his rules. If he said she couldn't see Rohn, then that would be it. She wouldn't be able to go.

Lying was the only option. She'd have to hide their relationship.

Even thinking that word seemed premature. She could only hope and dream that meeting him at the theater tonight would turn into a relationship.

It could be nothing more than Rohn not wanting to be alone in the movies. Or maybe it was a group thing. He could be meeting his friends there and thought she might like to come along. She tried to remember the exact words he'd used to invite her and couldn't. She'd been too shocked and excited to think at the time.

She couldn't think more about that right now. Her father was frowning, his focus on the view outside the window of the field Rohn was plowing. “I probably could have finished it myself in half the time.”

“You have years more experience than he does, honey.” Her mother stepped in to smooth things over. “He tries his best. He's a real hard worker and he's eager to learn. By the end of the summer he'll be better at it, I'm sure.”

“Yeah. I guess he's working out all right. And for what little I'm paying him, I reckon I can't complain. The other guy who came about the job wanted double what I'm paying this kid. I was surprised he settled for what I offered him.”

That was interesting news to Bonnie. She dared to comment on it. “I guess he really wanted the job.”

“Or he needed it bad enough. Who knows?” Her father sighed. “I'm gonna go work on that machine that needs fixing. Call me when dinner's ready.”

“I will.” Her mother stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to her father's cheek. He didn't even acknowledge the endearment before he turned to walk out the back door.

Bonnie watched it all, happy the fight between them seemed to be over, but vowing she'd never marry a man who didn't love her as strongly, as passionately, as she loved him.

Her mind went back to what had been revealed in the kitchen just now. Rohn had taken the job for shitty pay. Why?

Her heart sped at a crazy notion. Maybe because he'd wanted to be near her? Could it be?

There had to be plenty of jobs available for a young, strong guy willing to work hard. In fact, a couple of Rohn's friends were working for a landscaping company, getting paid to cut lawns. Rohn had said so himself. They worked early in the morning and then quit for the rest of the day, going fishing, or hanging out around town. All while he continued to labor until dinnertime on her father's dusty land.

Farming was a tough job. Harvesting the wheat. Plowing and planting the fields for next season. Not to mention Rohn had to put up with her father's demands.

But if he was here, doing this all to be near her . . . Bonnie nearly passed out at the thought. Deep down, she loved the idea, even if it might be just in her crazy imagination.

And—oh my God—tonight they had a date. She needed to find something to wear. She headed for her bedroom.

Six thirty couldn't come fast enough.