It Takes a Cowboy

“Promise me one thing, Blair.”

“What?” she asked warily.

“Analyze it all you want—but don’t regret it. It was too special for regrets.”

“I won’t regret it,” she promised—and she meant it. She had made the decision earlier that she wanted to know what it was like to make love with Scott. She’d found out—it was heavenly. Even if heartache followed when he drifted on to another adventure, as she knew he would eventually, she could never regret knowing those feelings if only that one time.

“Good.” He kissed her lingeringly, tenderly. And then he drew back, his expression reluctant. “I suppose you’d better go in to your family.”

It warmed her to think she had a family waiting for her inside. After so many years on her own, it felt good to have people to care for, and who cared for her in return. Did Scott feel that way about the people who shared his home with him, or did he feel alone even when surrounded by those he referred to as his staff?

“You have a long drive ahead of you,” she said. “Be careful.”

His smile flashed in the soft porch lighting. “Driving home is hardly a dangerous activity.”

Compared to most of his pastimes, that was certainly true, Blair thought with a grimace. “Be careful, anyway.”

“You bet,” he replied carelessly. “Tell Jeff I’ll see him next weekend, if not before. And I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

She nodded. “Good night, Scott.”

“Good night, Blair. Sleep well.”

She wasn’t at all sure she could do that. She would probably lie awake and imagine what it would have been like to awaken in Scott’s arms.

*

AS HE HAD PROMISED, Scott called the next evening. He and Blair chatted for forty-five minutes without ever once referring to their lovemaking. He also talked with Jeffrey, asking about the boy’s day, telling him a couple of jokes and promising to see him the following weekend at his ranch.

He called again Monday evening and Tuesday evening. Both times he included Jeffrey in the calls, and Jeffrey thrived on the attention, telling Scott about school, making plans for the ranch visit. It wasn’t a miraculous transformation, but Blair could see several positive changes in her nephew’s attitude.

Several times she was tempted to warn Jeffrey not to get too attached to Scott, to remind him that Scott wasn’t a member of the family and that he owed them nothing, including his time. But she couldn’t bring herself to diminish the pleasure Jeffrey had found in this new friendship—and she had to admit to herself that she didn’t want to accept that Scott’s interest in them was only a fleeting whim. She sincerely hoped that she and Jeffrey weren’t both headed toward bitter disappointment.

Jeffrey pounced on the telephone when it rang just after dinner Thursday evening. “Hi, Scott!” he said, barely giving the caller time to identify himself. “Guess what—I got an A on my English test today. I’ve been making my Qs the way my teacher wants me to, and I studied and got all the answers right, so she gave me full credit.”

He grinned at whatever Scott said in reply. “Yeah, I worked the system. And I guess it felt pretty good.”

Jeffrey and Scott talked a few more minutes and then Jeffrey handed the phone to his aunt. “I’m going to play with Belle,” he said, heading for the doorway.

“Make time for a bath before bedtime,” she called after him, then lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello, Scott.”

“I have plenty of time for a bath before bedtime,” he murmured in her ear. “Want to come scrub my back?”

She swallowed, deliberately dispelling the erotic picture of Scott in a bathtub that sprang to mind. “I was talking to Jeffrey.”

“Oh, darn.”

“Did you only call to make lewd suggestions?” she asked, settling comfortably into a chair.

“Of course. Actually, I had this idea that involved a new rope, a set of chaps and a pair of spurs....”

“Forget it,” she said with a chuckle. “Chaps make my thighs look fat.”

“Who said you would be wearing the chaps? Or anything else, for that matter.”

“So how are Margaret and Carolyn?” she asked, changing the subject before it really got embarrassing.

“Chicken,” Scott grumbled.