Texas Tough (The Tylers of Texas 2)

Tori nodded. “Knowing your father, I can understand that. But you could go anywhere. Why would you want to stay here?”

Lauren swirled the ice in her Coke, hesitating before she answered. “Funny, Sky asked me the same question.”

“And I believe you just answered it.” Tori’s smile was warm and knowing. “You’re actually blushing.”

“It’s a redhead thing. So embarrassing. I’ve always hated it.”

“Don’t you dare change the subject. Beau did mention there were some sparks between you two.”

“There were, but not anymore.” Even saying it hurt, but Lauren wanted to be honest. “We’re not seeing each other. His idea, not mine.”

“Why am I not surprised? I’ve known Sky since he was a teenager. I don’t know what you’d call it—pride, maybe, for want of a better word. But if you offer the man something wonderful, he’ll come up with a whole litany of reasons why he doesn’t deserve it and shouldn’t accept it. Usually he’ll end up walking away, which is probably why he’s not married—though, heaven knows, some very sharp ladies have tried to land him.”

“The way you make it sound, the breakup was his fault. But it was really mine—because I ran away without telling him, and because of my issues with my fiancé’s death and with my father. Sky told me to call him when I got my life together. So that’s what I’m trying to do. Even if I never get him back, I need to do this, Tori. Sky was right about me. I’m a wreck.”

“But he did tell you to call him. He left the door wide open. Coming from Sky, that’s a lot. Did he tell you anything else?”

“Yes. The very last thing he said before

I drove away was that if I needed him, he’d be there for me.” Lauren blinked away tears. “I was hurting, so I just blew him off. Oh, blast it, I didn’t mean to unload on you like this. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Tori reached across the table and patted her arm. “There’s one more thing I want to say, and then we’ll talk about something else. Sky had a hellish childhood before he came to the Rimrock.”

Lauren remembered the scars she’d glimpsed on Sky’s back. “I suspected something like that,” she said.

“He learned to guard his feelings,” Tori said. “He’s still so protective that he has a hard time letting anyone in. But underneath that lone-wolf, tough-man shell, Sky Fletcher is one of the gentlest, most compassionate people I’ve ever known.”

“I know,” Lauren said. “I’ve seen how he is with the horses, and with your daughter.”

“Then you’ve seen the real Sky. And you have to know that if he says he’ll be there for you, he means it.”

Only the distraction of the waitress bringing their pizza kept Lauren from crumbling. “That’s all well and good,” she said. “But for now, I have to be a big girl and move on as if I never expect to hear from him again. Who knows? Maybe I won’t—and maybe that’s for the best, at least for him.” She was putting on a brave face. But even saying the words was like jabbing herself with a cold steel knife.

“But you’re here—for now, at least.” Tori scooped a slice of pizza onto her plate, giving it a moment to cool. “So tell me what you need.”

“Two things,” Lauren said. “A place to live and some steady work. I’ve got money in a trust fund from my mother, enough to live on for a while, maybe even make a down payment on a little house. But I could burn through it all too easily, and I don’t want to do that.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“Buying a house would tie up my cash, but it would be like an investment. I could always sell it later, maybe at a profit.”

“True, but given how uncertain things are for you, wouldn’t you be better off renting?”

“Maybe. But as far as I know, there’s nothing out there.” Lauren shook her head. “I know it would make more sense for me to leave. But I’ve been running away from my problems for too long. I need to stop and face them, and Blanco Springs is as good a place as any.”

“So it’s not just about Sky.”

“Right now it can’t be.” Lauren slid a pizza slice onto her plate. “As for the work, I’m pretty much finished at the Tylers’ and the bookkeeping I do for the ranch syndicate is only part time. Living at the ranch, it’s been enough. But to get by on my own, I’ll need more clients, or a full-time job somewhere.”

Tori sipped her Coke. “I might have a few connections. I’ll ask around. But about the rentals—there’s an apartment complex on the edge of town. I’m pretty sure it’s full, but I know the manager. I can ask her if anybody’s given notice.”

“Thanks. I’ll cross my fingers.”

“There’s another possibility. I’m settling Hoyt Axelrod’s estate for his children. I could ask them if they’d be interested in renting the house until it sells—maybe with an option for you to buy it.”

Lauren shuddered. “Sky suggested that, too. I just don’t know . . .”

“I understand,” Tori said. “But keep an open mind. You never knew Hoyt. He was a decent man, upheld the law, raised a good family. His wife was a lovely person. But after she died, something went dark in him. I’m not usually one to spread gossip, but I think Stella Rawlins, the woman who owns the Blue Coyote, had a lot to do with it. What happened to him in the end was a tragedy.”