Helen Lacey - To Have And To Hold - Made for Marriage / To Wed a Rancher / The Mummy Proposal

Callie dismounted and pulled the reins over Kirra’s head, collecting them in her left hand. She fought the ridiculous impulse to take off her safety hat and smooth out her hair or rub her hands down her breeches.

He stopped about two feet in front of her. “Hello,” he said.

Callie swallowed. “Hi.”

He went to say something but then stopped. He patted the horse instead. He had nice hands, she noticed. Tanned and strong looking. She quickly snapped herself out of her silly female fantasy. “I was going to call you,” she said. “You beat me to it.”

“I knew she’d be here.”

“You did? How?”

“Because you were the last thing we talked about last night. And I know Lily—when she gets her mind stuck on something, she can be impossible to deal with.”

Callie raised her brows. “Looks like you’re surrounded by impossible women.”

My God, am I flirting? That’s what it sounds like .

And he smiled. As though he liked it. “I could think of worse things.”

Everything around her suddenly felt hot—the air in her lungs, the sand beneath her boots. “Anyway—she didn’t do any harm while she was here.”

“She’s changed since her mother left.”

Not what he wanted to say, Callie was sure of it. It was too familiar, too personal, too everything. And Callie wanted to clamp her hands over her ears. She didn’t want to hear any more. She didn’t want to know him. She didn’t want to know more of him.

“No problem.” It was a pitiful attempt at sounding indifferent.

“She used to be … sweet. A real sweet kid. And then she changed almost overnight.”

Callie felt another surge of feeling for Lily. She knew all about change. She knew what grief and hurt could do to a person. “Is that the reason for the makeup and black clothes?”

He shrugged. “Something to hide behind, I guess. She still wants riding lessons.”

Callie clicked Kirra forward and began to walk from the arena. “Well, Janelle Evans is a good instructor.”

He stepped in beside her. “She’s asked for you.”

“She can’t … you can’t … I just …”

Something happened then. Her legs stopped moving. Her lungs stopped breathing as she turned and their eyes locked. For one extraordinary moment Callie knew that whatever she was feeling, he was feeling it, too. It was crazy, heady and blindingly powerful.

He spoke first. “Lily rarely asks for anything.”

Callie continued walking. “Which means?”

“Which means I’m inclined to do whatever I can to see that she gets what she wants.”

They got to the gate. Callie tied Kirra to the railing, took a deep breath. “I’m not sure I—”

“Callie,” he said “Please, reconsider.” He placed his hand on her arm. A light touch, but the electricity coursing between their skin could not be denied. He looked at his hand but didn’t remove it. Callie stood still, held in place by his touch, by the mere wisp of space that lay between them. “Lily needs you.” He paused, watching her. “And I … and I need you.”

Callie moved her arm. Away from his touch. Away from temptation. Away from the realization that she liked how his hand felt against her skin.

I need you …

There was something startlingly intimate about the way he spoke the words. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had said that to her. Maybe never. Craig hadn’t needed her. And Noah Preston didn’t need her, either … not really. He just wanted her to teach his daughter to ride a horse.

“I can’t.”

He smiled. “Yes, you can.”

God, he was relentless. Callie lifted her chin. “I said I can’t.”

“She’ll be on her best behavior,” he said.

Callie expelled a heavy breath. “Even if she is, I’m not—”

“Is your unwillingness actually about Lily?” he interrupted her. “Or something else?”

Her heart quickened. “Like what?”

He looked at her. Really looked. Callie felt compelled to turn her gaze away, but she didn’t. Couldn’t . She’d never felt this kind of intensity with anyone before. She’d spent years convincing herself she didn’t want it.

“I thought that perhaps you and …” He stopped, hesitated and sort of half smiled. “I think we … I think we might have started off on the wrong foot.”

He wasn’t kidding. But she wasn’t about to admit it. She wasn’t about to admit to anything. Instead, she thought about the practical. “Why this sudden confidence in my abilities?”

“Because Lily believes in you.”

Callie didn’t break their eye contact. “Even though you don’t?”

“And if I said I did? Would you reconsider teaching Lily? If I apologized again for being a jerk and asked you to do this for my daughter?”

Her insides quivered. Don’t be nice to me . “You don’t give up easily.”

He shook his head. “Not when I want something.” He looked around. “I heard you’d lost some students recently.”

She stared at him. “How did you know that?”

He grinned. “Local gossip.”

Callie’s skin prickled. Just like the local gossip she’d listened to last weekend. “Yes, I did.”

He looked around, to the house, then back to her. “So, it looks like you’re not doing well financially.”

More prickles. “I’m not filing for bankruptcy just yet.”

A full smile this time. “I didn’t mean to imply you were,” he said carefully. “But I thought perhaps we could strike a deal.”

Cautious, Callie’s interest spiked. “What kind of deal?”

“Your usual fee—plus I’ll help prevent your house from ‘crumbling around your ears.’”

She stilled. “And how exactly will you do that?”

“I’ll do whatever maintenance needs to be done while Lily’s having her lessons.”

Callie looked at him suspiciously. “Do you work construction?”

“No,” he replied. “But I know my way around a toolbox.”

I’ll bet you do . Suddenly she was tempted. Very tempted. She did need the money. And as for his offer to help repair her house … that idea dangled like a juicy carrot in front of her nose. With windows that wouldn’t open, doors needing repair, fence palings hanging loose and the knowledge she needed to chase the entire house with a paintbrush, the lure of his offer teased her. Refusing would be impulsive. And foolish.

And Lily … she wanted to help Lily. Helping Lily was suddenly important to her.

Oh, hell .

“Okay,” she said quickly, before she had time to think about what it might mean to have him hanging around her house every Sunday morning. Him and his adorable kids.

Noah looked instantly pleased. “Good. Will you start today?”

She shook her head. “No. Next week. Sunday, nine o’clock.”

He stepped back, finally, and she dipped underneath Kirra’s neck, feeling safer with the horse between them. “Thank you, Callie. You won’t regret it.”

Too late … she already did.

He walked off without another word, collecting his kids along the way. Once his truck had disappeared down the driveway, Callie took off Kirra’s tack and led her to the washing bay.

Joe appeared, his hair spotted with straw from the bales he’d been lugging off the truck and into the feed room.

“So, what’s the deal with Vampira?” he asked, grimacing as he passed Callie an old towel. “Scary.” He shuddered. “Do you reckon she’s got tattoos, as well?”

Callie wasn’t about to admit that she had one herself. “That’s not nice.”

He shrugged his lanky shoulders. “If my little sister went around looking like that my parents would go ballistic.” He made a disagreeable face. “Was that her dad—Noah Preston?”