Texas Forever (The Tylers of Texas 6)

“So, do you think those two will get married?” Luke forced himself to ask.

Rose sighed. “Will seems in favor of it. But having met the young man . . .” She sighed again. “I remember how things were with Tanner, my husband. Heavens, we were on fire! We would have died for each other—in fact, we almost did. He was my world, and I was his. I don’t sense that with Erin, or with Kyle. I worry about her missing out on what real love can be.”

“It sounds like you must’ve had a wonderful marriage.”

“Oh, I did. I miss him terribly now that he’s gone. But it helps to know I had the very best there was.” She gave Luke a wistful smile. “You remind me of him—the same kind of quiet strength. You even look a little like him. He was tall and dark, like you.”

“If that’s a compliment, I’ll take it.” Unaccustomed to praise, Luke changed the subject. “What’s your connection to the Tyler family, Rose? I get the impression that it goes way back.”

“Oh, indeed it does! It’s a long story, some of it so fantastic that you’d think I was making it up. If you’re not in a hurry to go inside, I’d enjoy telling it to you.”

“I’d enjoy hearing it, and I’m not going anywhere.” Luke was grateful for the needed distraction.

“Very well.” Rose slid her chair forward and propped her sneakers on the rail next to Luke’s boots. “It all started when I was fourteen years old, and Bull Tyler saved my life. . . .”

* * *

The SUV rumbled along the graveled lane, headed for the junction with the paved road to town. Erin had rolled down the side window. The night breeze fluttered her hair and cooled her face.

Kyle had phoned her after dinner. Tomorrow’s date night in the city would have to be canceled because his father had insisted on taking him to a cattle auction in Lubbock, and they’d be staying for dinner that evening. Erin hadn’t minded. She’d been ambivalent about their plans, dreading another proposal that she would turn down.

With her emotions in turmoil after that burning kiss with Luke, this was hardly a good time for a romantic evening. But when Kyle had asked to see her tonight, just long enough for a drive, she’d seen no reason to refuse.

“Thanks again for coming with me tonight,” he said. “And thanks for not being mad about canceling our big date.”

“We can go another time,” Erin said. “I know your dad wants you to learn the business.”

“I wish I had the nerve to tell him that I don’t give a shit about the business,” he said. “Why should I want to be like him, working for wages on a ranch he doesn’t own—not even the house—and making everybody miserable in the process? He’s a nobody. He knows it and he hates it. Maybe if I had a ranch of my own, and I was building something for the future, to pass on to my children and to their children . . .” He gave Erin a meaningful glance.

There was no way she could have missed his intent. This wasn’t a proposal in so many words. But Kyle had laid his cards on the table. At least he was being honest. Maybe there was nothing wrong with that. Any man she married would be tied to the Rimrock. And the way he’d expressed it, building something for the future, to pass on to my children—wasn’t that what she wanted to hear?

A flying insect smashed against the windshield, its body splattering on the glass. Erin tore her gaze away from the mess. Steeling her resolve, she touched Kyle’s arm. “Pull over,” she said.

He pulled off the road, the engine still idling. Crickets chirped and rustled in the long, dry grass. “What is it, Erin?” he asked. “Is something wrong?”

She turned toward him in the seat. “Kiss me, Kyle,” she said. “I mean really kiss me!”

For an instant, he looked startled. Then his smile gleamed in the lights of the dashboard. He switched off the ignition and reached for her. She went to him willingly, his embrace pulling her awkwardly over the console. She shut her eyes as his soft, moist mouth closed on hers, pressing harder, deepening the kiss. His tongue, tasting of spearmint, invaded her mouth. She responded with enthusiasm, returning the playful thrusts, wanting to feel the magic, that hot racing of her blood that had happened when she’d kissed Luke. If it happened, that would simplify everything.

But she felt next to nothing.

She tried harder, arms twining his neck, fingers raking his hair. Even when his hand closed on her breast, she didn’t push him away as she had the last time he’d done it. He squeezed her through her blouse. She bit back a whimper of pain, allowing him to fondle her until he began to fumble with her buttons. Only then did she pull away.

He grinned, leaning back in the seat. “Was that a yes, Erin?”

“Not yet.” Erin wiped a hand across her mouth. “Just drive, okay?”

“Sometimes I can’t figure you out. But I’m not complaining.” He started the engine and swung the SUV back onto the road. “Kiss me like that, and I’ll have a hard time waiting much longer to marry you.”

Erin didn’t reply. She leaned toward the open window to let the night breeze cool her face. What was wrong with her? She certainly didn’t love Luke. She barely knew him. But the ecstatic rush she’d felt with that single kiss was something she craved to feel again. And she wasn’t feeling it with Kyle.

Marrying Kyle would please her father. Kyle was decent and responsible, and he clearly wanted a life with her. But could a lifetime love, the kind of passionate love she’d seen between her parents, grow and flourish without that vital spark?

Now that she knew what she was missing, there could only be one answer to that question.

Not that the answer was Luke. He’d made it clear he didn’t want her. She could only hope that later on she would find the magic with someone else—maybe someone she had yet to meet.

“We could go into town and get ice cream at the Burger Shack,” Kyle said. “I’ve got time, if you have.”