Texas Ranger Dad (13 page)

Z
ane didn't let Rose's cold stare hurt his ego. She was apprehensive, after all. So was he for that matter. But his curiosity about what Max had cooked up had taken the upper hand and was driving him to see what was going on.

“Surely you aren't scared to go see what Max and the ladies have cooked up?”

“Of course I'm not afraid—”

“Then prove it by moving those cute feet of yours. Let's go. He's waiting up at the barn.”

She frowned.

“Smile, Rose. This is an adventure,” Zane said, opening the door for her. As soon as she was inside, he jogged around to his side and slammed the door behind him. Anticipation filled him. What was Max up to? Something told him it was going to be good.

He just hoped Rose took Lacy's sound advice and let Max have his fun.

The barn doors were closed as they drove up. The kitchen door was open and the only light was the rectangle that stretched from the lighted doorway across
the yard. Zane could feel eyes on him. He knew when he was being watched, the hair on the back of his neck had always stood up…except once, with Rose. He pushed the memory away, focused on now.

There was no danger tonight. “Wait,” he said, when Rose started to open her door. “Don't move.” She looked at him like she was going to string him up. He tried not to look too pleased about what was going down, but it was hard as he closed his door firmly and strode around to her side. He could take a wild guess that Max was giving him points for acting the gentleman. Zane found he liked the idea himself.

“Relax,” he said, taking her elbow. “We're being watched.” He leaned close to her ear, breathing in the scent of fresh air and vanilla. “Hate me tomorrow, but let's let Max have this night. Please.”

She turned and their noses bumped. Zane smiled and resisted the need to kiss her—his inability to resist her had ruined one afternoon already. “Please,” he repeated instead.

“Okay. But when his heart gets crushed, it's your fault.”

Zane stared into Rose's serious eyes and knew, no matter what had happened before no longer mattered to him. “I have no intention of letting Max's heart get crushed.” He would win Rose's heart. Looking at her, he knew he'd never wanted anything in his life as much as this. Suddenly everything was clear and for the first time in his life, he was fighting for his own future and that of the ones he loved. This was one battle he had no intention of losing.

The door to the barn slowly creaked open and Max walked out. The kid was in his Sunday best, black slacks and a white shirt and tie. He had a cloth napkin
folded over one arm like a maître d'. Zane's curiosity was piqued more.

“Hello,” Max said, his tone formal. “Welcome.” He bowed and swept his arm out wide. “Please follow me.”

Rose met Zane's curious gaze as they followed Max into the barn…and there they froze.

Zane couldn't believe it—the kid had really been busy!

 

“It's beautiful,” Rose gasped. There were Christmas tree lights strung from every available roost. They glittered in various color combinations and brought tears to her eyes. In the center of the barn was an elegantly set table with a white cloth and candles.

Shock gave way to an unexpected thrill that stole over Rose. She looked up at Zane and her insides curled into a warm ball at his expression. He was in awe, too, and seeing the delight on his usually stern face unraveled her defenses a little.

“What do you think?” Max asked, grinning impishly.

“It's lovely.”

“I knew you'd like it!” He crossed to the table and pulled out a chair. Bending at the waist, he reentered his character once more.

Rose's heart squeezed tight and she wanted to cry.

How could she tell him this wasn't going to work?

“After you,” Zane said, looking as impish as his son. His hand on her arm, he guided her to her chair. The electrical current of his touch vaporized her welling tears. Her heart began pounding like an electric drum.

No sooner had he sat down across from her than Max grabbed a pitcher of tea from a table against the
wall and carefully poured tea into their glasses. A romantic, Italian ballad played in the background.

“Y'all visit,” Max said. “I'll be back with your food, but it won't be too soon.”

Zane chuckled as soon as Max disappeared, and Rose kicked him under the table.

“Kicking me isn't going to stop me from enjoying this.”

“Well, don't enjoy it too much,” she warned, as much for him as for herself. She had to keep her common sense through this. Nothing had changed between them. But that didn't stop her heart from thudding as Zane laid his hand on top of hers.

“I always enjoy being around you.”

She took a deep breath denying that his words didn't mean something to her. Her gaze dropped to their hands, but her throat wouldn't work.

“And I also care about every aspect of your life,” he added, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. “I know you are upset with me. But I wish you would give me—us—a chance. You have to know by now that I'm sorry for leaving.”

Every nerve in her body came alive at his gentle touch. Every emotion in her heart reacted to his plea.

She tugged her hand from beneath his and placed it in her lap. “Zane—” She felt trapped.

“Wait,” he said, cutting off her protest with a knowing smile. “Before you tell me that's a crazy idea, let's back up and talk about something else. How did your road trip go Saturday?”

He was purposely changing the subject, and Rose was actually thankful to take the conversation to a safe topic. “Not as good as I'd hoped, but it's still a start.”

He placed his elbows on the table and cupped his hands. “When do you go to the bank?”

What? How did he know—

“Don't look so startled. Remember, Max told me that you were trying to get a loan so you could expand.”

Max
. “Next Monday,” she said, having forgotten that exchange. She wondered what else about her personal business Max had been telling him.

“Do you think you'll get the business loan?”

She pulled her napkin off her plate and smoothed it across her lap. So maybe this wasn't such a safe topic after all. It was very personal to discuss her financial situation. But then, again, what did she have to hide? “I'm not sure. I think the plan is solid and I'm not really asking for that much. But I don't have a very long credit history. And it does have a few blank spots, as you know.”

He grimaced, knowing she was referring to the program. “I could make some calls.”

“
No.
I don't want the Justice Department involved in my life anymore,” she said and meant it.

“Okay. Don't get agitated. I don't understand your reasoning, but I'll respect it. Can I ask how you bought this place?”

“The owners financed it for me on the recommendation of my friends here in town. The town's done so much for everyone who came here from the shelter.”

“What if a friend wanted to finance your business?”

“If you're saying you would do that then the answer is a firm no.”

“Why not? I believe in the idea. I believe in you and Max. And I have a personal interest in it.”

This topic had quickly gone south. “Just because Max is your son doesn't mean—”

Zane reached across the table and laid his hand over hers again. She was going to have to remember to keep her hands off the table!

“Max is an interest…but I was talking about you.”

“Zane—”

The door creaked open and Rose yanked her hand from Zane's. She bit her upper lip as Max entered, carrying a large tray. He set the tray on the table where he'd placed the tea pitcher earlier. When he turned to them, he was carrying a basket of bread. He grinned as he placed it on the table.

Though they were being served Italian food, Rose was very aware that there was no garlic on the bread. That little
scoundrel!

Still, though she was upset, she couldn't say anything. Instead she watched him retrieve plates of steaming spaghetti from the tray and set them in front of her and Zane.

“Sam made this, so y'all know it's going to be delicious.”

“Sam,” she said, startled.

“Yeah, good ol' Sam to the rescue,” he said, and winked at her. “Now, this night is for y'all. Eat, drink and have a good time. Talk. Relax. I'll bring dessert later. But take your time. Enjoy.”

Enjoy! She felt like she was in a squeeze chute looking from Max to Zane!

She had to put a stop to this before it got any further out of control. She started to stand, but Zane's hand on her arm stopped her.

“Thank you, son,” he said, gently pressing her arm. She relaxed into her seat, holding his gaze.

“Okay, then,” Max said, drawing her to look up at him. He wore the bright, expectant look of a puppy as
he took one more look at his handiwork before heading out the door, wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Oh, Max.

Rose didn't know whether to laugh or cry watching him disappear. When he firmly closed the barn door she glared at Zane, feeling trapped.

“Bread?” Zane asked, cocking a brow and holding the basket up. “I'm planning to do as he says and enjoy this moment. How about you? Are you game to push everything aside for the evening and just be two people on a date?” His eyes twinkled like amber honey in sunlight…or candlelight to be more dangerously exact.

The food smelled fabulous. The soft music
was
romantic. And Zane Cantrell by candlelight was quite honestly irresistible. Rose took a shuddering breath…What to do?

With a sigh, she did the only thing she could do under the circumstances.

She nodded.

“But this is just for tonight. Don't get any ideas,” she said, pulling her head out of the clouds and planting her feet firmly on solid ground. Irresistible or not, Zane was not getting under her skin.

“Scout's honor. I won't get any ideas.”

The man thought he was so cute—that he was cute was irrelevant. Everyone was getting what they wanted tonight while she was being forced into an impossible situation. “I mean it, Zane. We are pretending to be two normal people on a
normal
date. That's all. But for the record, I don't believe this is good for Max. It's only giving him mixed signals. And it's promoting behavior that I'm not all that thrilled with. I've already told him that he needs to forget this idea that you and I are going to get together.”

Zane's jaw tightened. “Are you going to start pretending any time soon? Because I'm not feeling it yet.”

She'd aggravated him. Well, it couldn't be helped. “Fine,” she grunted and took an exaggerated breath, expelling it slowly. “Okay. Let the show begin.”

His lips flattened momentarily and he looked like Max when he was contemplating something seriously. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. She decided that she could use the time to assuage her relentless curiosity about the years between the last time she'd seen him and his reappearance. There were burning questions that begged to be answered. And since this truce was his idea, he could pay for it with information.

“So,” she began, taking a piece of bread from the basket he'd been patiently holding out to her. Her taking the bread was the ultimate symbol of a truce. He looked pleased with himself when she took a slice. He did the same.

“So,” he echoed.

Her insides fluttered like new wings on a butterfly, acknowledging things she didn't want to acknowledge. What if this was truly a beginning? What if she really let her defenses down and believed happy endings happen to women like her?

Surely she wasn't the first woman who felt compelled to cling to her independence because she needed the security and peace of mind derived from it. She was carving out her own happy ending. Just not one with the white knight sweeping her off her feet.

She'd given up on that the morning she walked into the safe house kitchen and Zane was gone…and then she'd learned with David that if she kept expecting a
man to give her a happy ending then she might be condemned to a life of pain and disappointment.

Nope, she was just fine with creating her own happy ending and she reminded herself of this as she ate. If she depended on only herself, she could survive just fine. And just fine was much better than heartache.

“You loved being a Texas Ranger. Are you going back to it?” she asked, shifting the focus to him.

He smiled. “No. I live here now.”

“But you loved it. You were good at it. The best.”

The light that had been dancing in his eyes dimmed. “We both know I wasn't.”