Mary Baxter - Totally Texan

The sad part was she didn’t know how to right the wrong she had just committed.

Grant had just finished chopping and stacking more wood that he didn’t need. But who cared? If swinging an ax made him feel good and kept his frustrations at bay, then that was A-OK.

Unfortunately, his manual labor had not worked out as planned. He couldn’t get Kelly off his mind even though he hadn’t seen her in two days. He could still smell and feel her soft skin, as if his flesh had absorbed hers. Actually, he could damn near taste it.

That type of thinking could get a man in big trouble, because it had to do with dependency, need and becoming emotionally connected to a woman he barely knew. With Kelly Baker that was out of the question. She wasn’t going to be around for long, it seemed, and he could tell she had too damn many secrets.

Still, that one kiss had turned him inside out, made him feel higher than a kite. Who was he kidding? It had made him want more. He couldn’t get her breasts off his mind. Even though he’d only managed to peek at the side of one and barely touch it, he knew it would be as firm and delicious as a newly ripened peach.

Just thinking about tasting that white flesh made his mouth water.

Careful, man, he told himself. You’d best put the brakes on or you’ll scare her off for sure. If he ever expected to see her again he’d have to take it easy, use finesse. Even then, she wouldn’t be a pushover.

Yet he’d seen the desire in her eyes, felt the heat radiate from her body. She wanted him, too, only she might not want to admit it. Therein lay the problem. But he had no intention of giving up. If he weren’t mistaken, underneath that veneer of ice was a hot, explosive woman.

While she was here, why not test the waters and find out?

With that question weighing heavily on his mind, he cleaned up his mess, then made his way into the cabin, where he showered, dressed, then grabbed a beer. The bottle was halfway to his mouth when he heard a loud rap on the door. “It’s open,” Grant called out.

Seconds later, his foreman and friend, Pete Akers, entered, his weathered face all grins.

“Wanna beer?” Grant asked without preamble.

Pete’s grin spread as he quickened his pace. “Thought you’d never ask.”

Once the foreman had his beverage in hand, they made their way back into the great room and sat near the roaring fire.

“Damn, but it’s colder than Montana out there.”

“How would you know?” Grant asked, giving Pete a sideways glance. “You haven’t ever been out of East Texas, much less to Montana.”

“Makes no difference.” Pete’s tone was obstinate. “I know cold when I feel it.”

“Then get your bald head over here by the fire.”

Once Pete had done just that and sat down, they quietly sipped their beers, both content with their own thoughts.

“What’s with all that wood?” Pete finally asked. “Looks like you cut enough wood for an Alaskan winter. And here it is nearly March.”

“So you noticed?”

Pete quirked a thin brow and gave Grant a penetrating look. “How could I not?”

Grant shrugged. “Guess I just needed to work off some excess energy.”

This time both of Pete’s brows went up. “Surely you’re not stressed about anything, not when things are all going your way.”

“Can’t argue about that.” He wasn’t about to mention his fixation with the new woman in town, so he stuck to business. “Buying that tract is something I never thought would happen. And I think it’ll pay off handsomely.”

“Put your company on the map is the way I see it,” Pete commented.

“Hopefully. In the meantime, I got a whopping lot of bills to pay at the bank. Don’t forget that. As you know, the timber wasn’t cheap—neither was that new equipment I had to buy.”

Pete blew out his breath. “I know. When you put things in perspective, I guess you’ve got a helluva good reason to be stressed.”

“Stressed is probably the wrong word,” Grant admitted with a frown. “Actually, I’m excited and confident that this tract will turn a profit and get me out of debt. So update me.” He set his empty bottle down and gave his foreman a straight look.

“I’ve already placed both crews.”

“Equipment and all?”

“Yep,” Pete said in an animated voice, as though proud of that accomplishment.

“Have you found another foreman?”

Pete frowned. “I thought maybe you and me together could handle it. You know how I am about hiring people I don’t know.”

“But you know everyone around these parts.”

“That’s why I ain’t hiring nobody.” Peter cocked his head. “Get my drift?”

“That’ll work, especially since none of the other tracts are cuttable right now due to the poor conditions.”

“Let’s hope the rain continues to hold off.”

“It will. I’m convinced my luck has changed and all for the better. So where did you put the log sets?” Grant asked, back to business.

“I put one crew on the northwest side next to the county road and the other on the south end next to the old home place.”

“I’ll work the south end,” Grant said, knowing it would be the most difficult site to cut.

“The saw heads are already buzzing and it looks like we’re going to be able to get twelve to fourteen loads per day.”

“Man, if we do that for six weeks to two months, then I’d be on easy street for sure.”

Grant grinned and raised his hand. Pete hit it in a high-five just as Grant’s cell phone rang. Frowning, he reached for it, noticing that the call was from Dan Holland, the landowner who had sold him the timber.

“What’s up, buddy?” Grant asked without mincing words.

“I’m afraid we got a problem.”

Did he regret the kiss?

Probably.

Kelly figured that was the reason she hadn’t seen him today. Of course, she didn’t know for a fact. As always, her mind was her own worst enemy, taking off like a runaway train, imagining all sorts of crazy things.

Since she’d been in charge of the shop, she’d seen Grant only once. He hadn’t been a regular customer so why would he stop in again?

The truth was, she couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. If only she hadn’t let that happen, she’d be just fine. But she’d made an unwise choice, and choices had consequences. She wanted to see him again, even though she kept reminding herself that would be foolish.

Kelly’s life was back in Houston. She would soon be gone from Lane, Texas. More to the point, she couldn’t wait to get back to her real job, and to the challenge it offered.

“Kelly, phone for you.”

Jerking her mind back to reality, she smiled at Albert, went into the small office and picked up the receiver. It was her boss, John Billingsly.

“How’s it going?” he asked in a pleasant tone.

“Do you really want to know?” Though she had a deep respect for John and thought of him as a friend as well as a boss, he wasn’t exactly high on her fan list now. After all, if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t be stuck here.

His sigh filtered through the line. “You know I do, or I wouldn’t have asked.”

“Actually, things are going better than I thought they would down here, though I hate to admit that.”

He chuckled. “I know you’re still unhappy with me.”

“And will be for a long time.” Although Kelly had spoken bluntly and truthfully, there was no rancor in her words.

“You know how much I care about you, Kelly. I only want what’s best for you.”

“I know.” And she did. At times she sensed he would like to be more than her boss, yet he’d never once crossed that professional line. She thought there was more to his feelings than he had ever expressed, however.