Hope Flames

Page 9

“Wow. A long time ago.”
“Yeah. We were both too young to get married, but we met my first year in college, and it kind of stuck. We got married my junior year, and she moved out to the ranch to live with me.”
“And that didn’t work out?”
He let out a short laugh. “Uh, no. Rebecca was country club and lattes for breakfast every morning, and going shopping with her friends, and getting manicures and pedicures. Being stuck on a dusty ranch with a bunch of stinky cows and a husband who wanted to be a cop wasn’t as romantic as it had sounded. She hated the ranch, hated the cattle and the horses, and she especially hated the dogs, especially Boomer.”
Emma stopped and stared at him. “Wow. Really?”
“I’m not exaggerating, Emma. The woman I fell in love with and married totally disappeared once she stepped foot on the ranch. Rebecca was sweet and fun and full of life and laughter, but she really goddamn hated that ranch and the life associated with it.”
“But you didn’t end up living on the ranch, either. So why not move off the ranch?”
They resumed their walk through the park. “She knew that was the eventual plan, but patience wasn’t one of her virtues. Besides, Boomer would have still come with us, and she made it clear she wanted a no-animal household. Then I brought up having kids, and she balked.”
“She didn’t want kids, either?”
“No, though that’s not what she told me when we were dating. She wanted travel and expensive cars and a big house. Not kids and definitely not animals.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. You’re kidding me, right?”
“I wish I was. There were just too many obstacles to overcome, so eventually she hightailed it back to Tulsa, and we got a divorce. It was a clean break. All she wanted was out of the marriage, and by that point I was more than happy to have her go.”
Emma laid her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Luke. It must have been miserable for you.”
“It wasn’t the happiest time of my life, that’s for sure. But I learned a lot from the experience, and next time—if there is a next time—I’ll know better.”
“Surely you want to get married again.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Someday. I don’t know.”
Her lips quirked. “A little skittish about that first go-round of happily-ever-after?”
She read him well. “That’s an understatement.”
“That’s what you meant that night when you said that’s not how you usually do it.”
He stopped. “Huh?”
“When you were offering to take me out. You don’t ‘date.’”
She used air quotes around the word date.
“Oh, right. No, I don’t. Not often.”
She paused and pulled the leash around her hand. Daisy sat dutifully at her feet as Emma crossed her arms. “Well, after what you’ve been through, I can’t say I blame you. Women must scare the hell out of you.”
And that was a little too close to Emma having him figured out in one afternoon.
He wasn’t sure he liked that.
Chapter 7
EMMA WATCHED THE myriad of expressions cross Luke’s face as he talked about his ex-wife. A lot of anger and resentment, for sure, mixed with sadness, which she appreciated. He had obviously wanted it to work out with his ex, and it so clearly hadn’t. He and his ex hadn’t been well-matched.
That happened. Sometimes people weren’t honest about what they really wanted in a relationship. No one knew that better than her.
Of course her situation had been different, and the person she’d become involved with had been deliberately deceptive.
At least they hadn’t gotten married.
She shuddered at the thought. She’d been tied so strongly to him as it was. If their relationship had been legally binding . . .
She shook off the unpleasant thoughts and focused instead on the interesting revelation about Luke. His reticence about taking her out became so much clearer now. It wasn’t that he didn’t find her attractive. Not that she really cared about that—much. Okay, maybe she did, just a little, but she dismissed the thought. Her ego could rest comfortably now.
It was Luke’s fear of relationships that held him back. He was obviously a one-night-stand kind of guy, gun-shy about women since he’d been burned by his ex.
Now that she understood all too well. They were kindred spirits in that regard, though she didn’t do one-night stands.
Or any-night stands, for that matter.
She watched Luke with Boomer, his patience and affection with his dog.
Someday he’d make a great father. You could always tell. Guys who were great with animals would also be good with children.
Not that she was shopping for a father for her as yet nonexistent children. And if she was, Luke wouldn’t be on her list, since he was currently living in one-night-stand land.
“You went quiet,” he said, pulling her out of her thoughts. “I was thinking about you.”
He cocked a brow. “Yeah? What about me?”
“You, your ex-wife, the fact you’re afraid of relationships, and how good you are with your dog.”
He laughed. “That’s a lot of thinking. And I’m not afraid of relationships. I’m just not in the market for one right now.”
“Me, either.”
“Did you get burned by an ex, too?”
And there was a conversation she didn’t want to have with Luke. Not in detail, anyway. “I did. In the worst way. Who doesn’t have an ugly breakup in their past?”
“True. Were you married?”
“No. It was just a bad relationship.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. And now I’m too busy with the new clinic.”
“Oh, come on. You don’t live it twenty-four seven.”
“That’s true, but relationships take time and commitment, and I don’t have the time or the energy for one right now.”
“I understand. So coming out with me today is perfect. No strings attached, but you can still get out and have some fun.”
She liked Luke. “You’re right. We’re perfect for each other. Neither one of us has any expectations of the other.”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
And for some reason, that made her wish for more.
Which was the dumbest thing ever.
Damn that kiss, anyway.
After a short walk, they went back and caught the rest of the game. Fortunately, the home team won and even the dogs seemed to enjoy the day. She sure did. Luke took Emma back to her place. As he pulled into her driveway and she and Daisy climbed out of his truck, she leaned inside, not quite ready to let go of the day—or Luke—just yet.
“Without expectation, would it be all right if I fixed you dinner, or do you have a non-date date for tonight?”
He cocked a grin. “No, I cleared the whole day for you.”
“Now I feel special. Come on in.”
She held the door for him and Boomer.
“Nice place,” he said.
“Thanks. It was my grandmother’s. It’s small, but it’s perfect for me and the dogs.”
She let Annie out of her crate, which led to crazy barking and greeting. She let all the dogs out into the backyard, then shut the slider.
“Would you like a beer?” she asked.
“Sounds good. Thanks.”
She grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator and popped the tops off the bottles, then handed him one. She leaned against the counter and couldn’t help but watch him as he took a long swallow. In his jeans and long-sleeved Henley, he looked lean, yet the muscles outlined against his shirt were unmistakable. If she were in the market for a guy—which she wasn’ t—Luke McCormack would be one hell of a man to play with.
He caught her watching him, and cast a look at her that made her body tighten in all the wrong places.
Just friends, Emma, remember? It was more important for him to think of her as a buddy, as just one of the guys.
Unfortunately, with her ni**les beading and everything south screaming for her to jump on top of him and unzip those very worn jeans to get to the goods, she wasn’t thinking of herself as one of the guys. She was thinking of herself as a woman who hadn’t had sex in a very long time, and as Luke who was someone she’d really, really like to have sex with.
Did he have to keep looking at her? He had to have the hottest mouth she’d ever seen.
She shuddered as she inhaled. “So.”
He licked his lips. She watched his tongue, and swallowed—hard.
“So. What’s on the meal agenda?” he finally asked.
Meal? What meal? She wanted to devour him for dinner. “Uh . . . right.” She turned and stuck her head in the fridge. “How do hamburgers on the grill sound? I make killer bacon cheese fries, too.”
“How can I resist that offer? What can I do to help?”
It would help if she hadn’t stupidly asked him to come in for dinner. Distance from men was her salvation. Or at least, distance from Luke.
“You can go wrangle the dogs while I get things started in here. Oh, and the grill is out on the back patio. Can you turn it on and get it ready?”
“I can handle that.”
As soon as he left the kitchen, she exhaled, grabbed her beer, and took several long swallows, needing the cool brew to relieve her parched throat. Unfortunately, there was no help for her other throbbing body parts.
Good Lord. What was wrong with her? She’d been cool, calm, and totally immune to men ever since . . .
Well, ever since. And now there was Luke, and there was something about him that got to her in a way that no man had gotten to her in a very long time.
She wasn’t ready for it. Not yet.
Though it had been a lot of years. Maybe it was time she did get ready for it.
She’d made a lot of vows once she’d escaped the worst relationship of her life. And the number one vow was to never get involved with a man who hit all her hot buttons again. She’d only do safe and boring in the future.
Luke McCormack was anything but safe and boring. She could go up in flames with him, lose her sense of self. If he crooked his finger at her, she’d come running.
She’d done that once, and it had been a disaster.
Never again.
She set the oil on to heat, then peeled and sliced potatoes, the activity clearing her head. By the time Luke came in with the dogs, she had the distance she needed.
Until he came up behind her, and she inhaled the scent of him. He smelled of outdoors and something distinctly male.
“Need help?” he asked as he leaned over her shoulder.
Her breathing quickened. “I’ve got this. How about you make the patties?” Preferably somewhere far away, like Texas.
He took the meat out of the fridge and made the patties standing next to her, while she concentrated on not cutting off her finger. Hard to do since she was acutely aware of him and his big body nestled beside her.
Her kitchen was small, which meant not much maneuverability with two people in it. His elbow bumped her arm, her hip nudged his, their shoulders touched. While it didn’t seem to bother him, it bugged the hell out of her, and not in an annoying way, either. Body contact with men was off-limits, yet she found herself inching a little closer, despite her self-mandate to stay as far away from Luke as possible.
Even with potatoes frying in oil and bacon sizzling in the other pan, she could still smell him.
And he seemed utterly oblivious of her.
After piling the patties on the plate she’d provided, he asked, “How about a spatula or something to flip these?”
“Sure.” She dug out the one she used for the grill and handed it over to him.
“How do you like your burger?”
“Well done.”
He grinned. “Me, too. I’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll be here cutting up condiments for the burgers and finishing up these fries. Also, if you aren’t tired of baseball, there’s a game on.”
“See? We make a great team. I’m game . . . for the game.”
She laughed, then slumped against the counter after he closed the slider.
He was funny, gorgeous, he smelled good, and he was great with animals.
And he had an awesome body, a killer smile, and hands she wanted all over her.
One hell of a time for her libido to wake up and decide it wanted men again. Especially since she and Luke had decided they could be buddies. Which put her firmly in the He’s Not Having Sex With You category.
She pulled the fries out of the oil and grated cheese, crumbled up the bacon she’d fried, then finished up making the cheese fries. By the time Luke came back in with the cooked burgers, she’d set up trays in the living room, the game was on, and she had lettuce, onions, and tomato set out on the counter, along with buns and all the stuff he could possibly want to spread on his burger.
“This is a feast,” he said, as he set the platter of burgers down on the counter. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
She smiled at him. “This was no trouble at all. You’re obviously very easy to please.”
“Hey, I would have stopped for take-out on my way home, so, to me, this is a very big deal. Thanks, Emma.”
“You’re welcome.” She didn’t entertain. In fact, Luke was the first person she’d had over besides her mom. In South Carolina, she’d never had anyone over to her apartment.
Again, she had no idea what had gotten into her.
She fed the dogs in the kitchen, then they settled into watching the game and eating their burgers.
“Perfect,” she said as she took her first bite.