Mary Holder - Mckinley's Miracle

“I’ll make a bet with you that we’ll be dining over candlelight before next Saturday.”

Lucy crossed her arms and leaned back on the door-frame, hiding a small smile at his tenacity. “And when you lose that wager, what do I get?”

He didn’t miss a beat. “If I lose, you’ll get the satisfaction of seeing me fall flat on my backside and an extra pair of hands to help you scrape down this house. But I intend to win, Lucy, and when I do, my payment will be giving you those riding lessons you need…and a kiss.”

Lucy considered herself unshockable after so many years spent around kids for whom shock value had its own rewards, but his suggestion almost caught her off guard. Kissing Clayton McKinley was not a good idea. Just the touch of his finger on her cheek had almost curled her toes…and her toes didn’t curl for anyone!

“It’s a deal.”

He touched the rim of his hat and gave her another one of those dangerous smiles. “Yeah, it’s a deal. But it’s going to be a pleasure, Lucy. You can count on that.”

She stood there and watched him drive off into the night, waiting until she could no longer see his taillights in the distance.

Clayton McKinley had stirred her libido to life again as easily as he breathed. And Lucy was scared. Not because of his striking good looks, not even because of his laid-back charm. But because she’d known the man less than two hours and feelings were waking inside her. He’d stroked her cheek and her insides quivered. He smiled and she could almost hear the barricade around her emotions straining under the force of it. She had never felt anything so consuming and that was her fear. How could she protect herself from something she couldn’t control? Lucy had a feeling she’d just let a major complication into her life.

How much damage he did would be up to her.

If he was surprised the next morning when she drove her car into the driveway of Cable Downs, he didn’t show it. In fact, he looked downright pleased with himself. The kids wasted no time getting out, though Max was stiff and sore from his injuries and Katie tried to act as if this whole thing was no big deal, when they all knew otherwise.

Lucy followed after a moment or two in which she got her racing heartbeat back under some semblance of control. He’d been hard at it already. Sweat and dust clung to the thin cotton T-shirt that stretched across his chest and shoulders. He was potent. Masculine. Rugged. A down-home original.

Clayton touched the rim of his hat and smiled at Lucy before turning his attention to the kids. “I’ve got hats and sunscreen for both of you up in the house. And it’s good to see you wore sensible shoes. I reckon I’ll make farmers out of you yet.”

Lucy watched them bask in his praise. No matter how she felt about Clayton, this would be good for Max and Katie. They’d been dreading the holidays. Soon enough their farm would be up and running, though not on the grand scale of this one. Until then, the chores were boring, repetitive and uninteresting.

“Go on up to the house,” he said, “and you’ll get morning tea before we head out.”

They didn’t need to be told twice, and when they were gone, Clayton stood face-to-face with the woman who had haunted what little sleep he had managed last night. “So I guess you’re not afraid of me after all.”

If he weren’t so darn charming his words would have almost been arrogant. “I wouldn’t have taken the bet if I was afraid of you.” He smiled and Lucy didn’t even try to shield herself from the effect, taking it as a given when a shiver skittered down her spine.

“Walk with me up to the house before all the goodies disappear with the hungry hordes,” he said, leading the way to the large homestead with its low-slung veranda and jasmine vines clinging to the railing. “I didn’t think you’d go for that bet, but you surprised me.”

“I know I’m going to win.”

Clayton smiled, wondering if he would ever get to see her in anything but jeans. She had a lemon-coloured sweatshirt on today and a pair of worn boots. Granted, she did things to a pair of jeans that would give a corpse palpitations, but he’d wager those legs would look dynamite in a skirt.

“Confidence. I like that in a woman. I find it sexy. You know, wondering if it spills over into other facets of her life.”

His smile had Lucy thinking of crisp cool sheets and Clayton…a combination that would get her in deep trouble, fantasy or not. “Just so we don’t get our signals crossed, are you flirting with me, McKinley?”

He took off his hat as he approached the veranda steps. Damp hair clung to his forehead and he reached up to brush it back with a smooth, long-fingered stroke. “I believe that’s what they call it,” he replied, not the least bit bashful. “Flirting is the basis of any good seduction.”

Lucy took a deep breath. Why couldn’t he just beat around the bush now and again without always having to just come right out with what he was thinking?

“You can’t seduce me.”

“Oh, it might take a while, since you’re not quite sure what my motives are…or whether you can trust me,” he said, never once breaking eye contact with her. “But it will happen.”

“I’m not attracted to you,” she said, wanting it to be true. His expression told her he knew otherwise and darn it if he wasn’t right.

“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“That’s right, I’ve had a vaccination to protect me from charming men.”

Clayton raised a dark eyebrow at her. “You think I’m charming?”

Loath as she was to admit it, Lucy knew there was no use denying it. “At the risk of encouraging you, any red-blooded woman would find you charming.” His soft smile sent a spiral of heat through her body.

“But I don’t want just any red-blooded woman…I want you.”

Lucy might be one hundred percent shockproof but she still wasn’t immune to a sexy man saying those words to her, looking at her with unmistakable desire. No man had ever desired her. But she could see it in his eyes. Attraction. She felt it all the way to her bones.

“Does the word subtle have any significance for you?” she said. “You can’t just go around saying whatever’s on your mind.”

He shrugged. “Seems to me it saves time and confusion. Have dinner with me,” he said, changing gears again. “Tonight. In town.”

Lucy chuckled. He got full marks for persistence. “You think I’m going to make it that easy?”

“Lord, I hope not. That would take all the fun out of it.”

Lucy bit back a smile. “I meant it won’t be that easy to catch me out and win the bet by inviting me to some candlelit restaurant.”

Clayton held the door open for her. “You’ll say yes to me, eventually.”

And she wondered if that was another McKinley promise he intended to keep. Inside she didn’t get much of a chance to do more than nod politely to the four men who sat around the oblong-shaped wooden table in the kitchen. No sooner had Clayton introduced her to Shay Hamilton, ranch housekeeper and family friend, and the farmhands than the men were plucking hats off the rack in the corner and heading back out to work.

Shay looked across at her. “Coffee?”

Lucy smiled. “Thanks.”

“Boss, me and Charlie will keep going on that other section of downed fence.”

Clayton poured himself a cup of coffee. “Okay, Bob. We should finish it in case that predicted storm blows in. I’ll be down in a few minutes. Harry, you and Derek keep going on the combine so it’ll be ready when that part comes in this afternoon.”

The tall, red-haired man nodded. “Real nice scones, Shay.”

“Thank you, Harry.”