Texas Tough (The Tylers of Texas 2)

With a tired little murmur, she settled close. Sky could feel the strain easing as she relaxed against him. The awareness of her need and her trust raised an ache in his throat. He’d never meant to love this woman—never meant things to go beyond the torrid sex they’d both enjoyed. But she’d crept into his heart and found a home there. He could no longer imagine ever letting her go.

He would never be wealthy, but if she’d have him, he had the means to give them a fine life. He had property, a good job, and enough money in the bank to build a comfortable home. His work for the Tylers could continue while he pursued his dream of raising his own horses on his land—a place where their children could learn to love nature and value honest work.

Was that what Bull Tyler had in mind when he’d bought the parcel and included it in his will? Had the old man been thinking of a way to keep his secret descendants on the land?

A mental slap jolted Sky back to reality. If he proposed to Lauren, he’d be asking her to marry the illegitimate son of a servant who’d worked for her grandparents. How could he explain that to her? And even if she were to say yes, how could he explain it to their children one day?

Maybe it would be better for everyone’s sake if he just walked away.

Lauren had fallen asleep, a little feminine snore mingling with her breath. Sky gazed down at her face, already darkening in the spot where her father had struck her. Letting her go would kill him. But he had to make a decision before things went any further between them.

He couldn’t make that decision until he knew the full story of where he’d come from—and only one man knew enough to tell him that story.

Tomorrow he would have a talk with Jasper.

CHAPTER 15

The ear-shattering wail of a cranky toddler startled Lauren awake. Flinching, she blinked herself to a blurry awareness of where she was and what had happened.

“Welcome back.” Sky was gazing down at her with eyes the color of Texas bluebonnets. Still groggy, Lauren pushed herself upright. They were no longer alone in the waiting room. An elderly man sat in the rocker with an open Bible across his knees. A tired-looking woman with a squirming two-year-old in her arms sat on the far side of the room, watching cartoons on the wall-mounted TV.

Lauren raked back damp tendrils of hair where her head had rested in the warm hollow of Sky’s shoulder. “I can’t believe I just drifted off like that. How long was I out?”

“Not long. A little less than an hour.”

“And no word yet?”

“If there was, we’d both have heard.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry. These things can take a while. Want some coffee?”

“Thanks. Cream, no sugar.”

He rose, walked away, and came back with two steaming insulated cups. Lauren took the one he handed her and sipped the hot brew, feeling the welcome jolt of caffeine. “I let Tori show me the Axelrod house today,” she said, deciding to tell him. “It would need some renovation, but it’s not that bad, and the price is a bargain.”

“So you’re really going to make the move?”

“I told you I would. But now it might have to wait. How can I leave my father after something like this?”

Sky’s lips parted. Then he shook his head and took a sip of coffee, as if he’d thought better of what he was about to say.

“Tell me,” she challenged him. “I want to hear what you’re thinking.”

He exhaled slowly. “All right, but you might not like it. Your father’s not above using this episode to control you. If you can’t walk away because you’re afraid he’ll shoot himself again, or overdose on pills and liquor, he’ll have you right where he wants you.”

And what would you do then, Sky?

Lauren stared down into her cup, not daring to voice the question. Would Sky have the patience to wait for her? Would he be supportive, or would he throw up his hands in disgust and turn his back?

Before she could voice a reply, the double doors to the E.R. swung open and the doctor walked toward her. He was tall and bespectacled with a beakish nose, his expression telling her nothing.

“Your father’s out of surgery, Miss Prescott,” he said. “We were able to remove the bullet and close the wound. He should make a full recovery. But for now, with so much alcohol in his system, we’re giving him extra fluids and keeping a close eye on him.”

Lauren stood. “Is he awake? Can I see him?”

The doctor shook his head. “He’ll be sleeping it off tonight. You might as well go home, get some rest, and come back in the morning. He should be alert by then. Meanwhile, don’t worry. He’ll be in good hands.”

“Thank you.” She turned to Sky as the doctor walked away.

“I guess you might as well take me home. Since you’ll need to be working tomorrow, I can drive myself back here. That way I can stay as long as I need to.”