A Long, Hot Summer (The TripleHornBrand) Read online

  To her dismay, the quick clip of his boot heels matched the beat of her wayward heart. Seconds later, a hand cupped the small of her back, and he reached around her to hustle her inside the house and close the door.

  At the thrill of his touch, Sarah had the fleeting thought that Tommy Triplehorn might be all wrong for her, but her body was awfully happy he was here.

  Tommy swallowed as he looked down at Sarah’s averted face. Tension crimped her lips. A rapid pulse beat at her temple. She was like a cornered rabbit, and he’d done that. Made her afraid—perhaps not of violence, but of intimacy.

  Shame washed over him, and he sighed, taking a step back to give her space but unwilling to turn on his heel and leave. He was here. She needed to get used to his presence because he was going to be part of her life from here on out. Whether she accepted his vision of the future right now or not.

  Something that produced such a strong upwelling of emotion inside him had to be rooted in love. Anything else would make this whole attraction something ugly and desperate.

  She stood so still he wondered if she’d ever make the first move to break the tension surrounding them. One of them had to speak first. But what to say?

  “You look good, Sarah.”

  Her brows drew together.

  So she’d said pretty much the same thing to him when he’d cornered her in the parking lot.

  “We need to talk.”

  She gave a sharp shake of her head. “I don’t see the need. Not at all.”

  “I want to court you. Good and proper. I want to make you my wife.”

  Her breath left in a quick gust. “That’s ridiculous. Sayin’ it out loud is ridiculous. Who does that? We haven’t even dated.”

  He ignored the snippiness of her voice. He had her rattled. “You won’t let me start with a date. So I thought I’d let you know up front what my intentions are.”

  She raised her chin. “I don’t want to marry you.”

  “That may be true. And I can understand your fear. But I’m not Paul.” Tommy pointed a finger and touched her with the tip, right above her heart. “You were with Blake Morrow tonight. That means you’re ready to consider the possibility of marriage. I’ve waited a long time for you to reconsider. I just never thought it would take you so many years to figure out you don’t have to be alone.”

  Her chest rose around a deep breath. “Tonight was a mistake. I realized it the moment I sat across the table from the man.”

  Tommy narrowed his eyes. “You realized you made a mistake the moment you saw me with Candy Crowe. That’s when it started to fall apart, didn’t it?”

  She shook her head. But her whiskey-colored eyes had widened for just a second, and he knew he’d guessed right. “Thing is, I know that’s true, because I couldn’t work up a hard-on thinkin’ about what Candy was ready to give me, not until I saw you walk through the door. Once I had her in the room, I couldn’t touch her, Sarah, not when the woman I wanted was you.”

  Sarah’s cheeks darkened with a blush. “You should go.”

  “Not until you agree to give me a chance.”

  Bright splotches of pink rode her cheeks. “I can’t date you. When this doesn’t work out—which it won’t—everyone will think I’m a fool. I won’t be left with my reputation in shreds.”

  “In shreds because you’re steppin’ out with me?” His lips twisted. “I guess I deserve that. I’ve been pretty fast and loose. Sarah, I’m willing to change for you.” He lifted a hand but she shied away. “Are you afraid of me?” he asked, his voice rasping.

  Her eyes filled. “No,” she whispered. “But I don’t want this. I don’t want you. Tommy, let go. Please, just let go.”

  He stood still for a long moment, staring into her eyes, trying to figure out if she really meant it or was trying to be noble for his sake. In the end, he drank in the sight of her dark eyes shining and her nostrils flaring slightly like she was ready to cry but not willing to release her tears.

  Tommy’s shoulders slumped and he glanced away, feeling his own eyes fill. He’d been so sure she felt the same as him. But he’d read her all wrong. Shaking his head at his own poor judgment, he met her solemn gaze. “You ever need anything, Sarah…”

  She nodded quickly, perhaps sensing he was ready to release her. “Of course. We’re neighbors.”

  “It could have been good between us,” he said, his voice gruff. “Sorry I bothered you.” He opened the door and let himself out, pausing on the edge of the porch until he heard the door shut firmly behind him.

  Then, glancing up at the moon, he cursed the impulse that had him follow her here. How desperate had he looked? She didn’t want him in her life. She’d made that clear so many times over the years. He hadn’t paid her any mind, hadn’t believed her because he hadn’t been willing to accept that this longing was all one-sided.

  Feeling like a lead weight had settled in his gut, Tommy headed to his truck. He was done pining for Sarah Colby. But he was also done chasing tail. It was time to get serious about the rest of his life.

  Chapter Two

  The late morning temperature was so hot it shimmered on the horizon. Moisture pooled in Sarah’s boots, and trickles of sweat slid between her breasts beneath her thin, long-sleeved T-shirt. But the hot mid-July sun was only partially responsible for the fact she was sweating.

  After many stern conversations with herself, Sarah had hoped Tommy Triplehorn was out of her system for good. However, one glance of his shirtless torso as he worked a horse on a rope in a corral, and she knew she suffered a permanent malady. One that kept her awake late into the night all too often, twisting the sheets and exhausting her batteries.

  More than a month had passed since she’d rejected him, but time hadn’t eased the empty ache inside her one little bit. But then she’d carried this ache since she’d been smitten the first time she’d noticed he was maturing into a handsome young man eight years ago.

  Lord, he’d been a beautiful boy—dark hair, long lashes framing an earnest, open gaze. He’d been so willing to please her every time their paths crossed. He’d hired on for a summer to see how other operations ran and to escape his brother Gabe’s constant harping. She’d taken advantage of his eagerness and seduced him, knowing what they did was dangerous but driven by a desperate need for affection.

  Staring at him now, she admitted he’d far exceeded her expectations of what he’d be like when he finished growing up. He was one of the most deliciously well-made men she’d ever seen in the flesh. And so beyond her reach. He deserved much better than some dried-up widow. Not that she believed for a minute he still held a torch for her. Not after the way she’d shooed him away. He’d had more than a month to lick his bruised feelings and find himself another Candy Crowe. After all, she hadn’t given him any hope that waiting would ever change her mind.

  No, he had to have moved on. And that was a good thing. She wanted Tommy happy.

  Footsteps scraped, and she dragged her gaze from Tommy, meeting Gabe’s curious expression as he glanced from her to Tommy and back before pasting on a polite smile and offering his large, callused hand.

  “Ms. Colby, what can I do for you today?”

  Gabe was good looking too, and more relaxed then she’d ever seen him. Happiness became him. She’d seen him and his wife, Lena, in town a time or two with their baby girl. An adorable little thing with golden curls. At first glance, he and Lena appeared a little mismatched as he was so much more handsome than she was beautiful. That is, until you noted the happiness that leant a lovely glow to the blonde woman’s tanned face.

  Now there was a well-loved woman. That fact alone made her stunning.

  Every time she’d seen them together, Sarah had tamped down the biting jealousy. She had only herself to blame for her solitary state.

  Sarah shook Gabe’s hand then let it drop quickly. Touching hands seemed a more intimate act when she shared it with a Triplehorn. These men were blessed with good genetics and all had a charisma that drew
a woman’s attention.

  Cursing the impulse that had brought her here, she got straight to the point. “I’m going to the auction in Abilene and will be leaving on Sunday for Tuesday’s auction. I have about twenty feeder cattle and calves to unload before the drought sets in. My foreman is laid low. He broke his leg a couple of days ago, or he’d be the one goin’. I have to take one of my more experienced hands to help me with the rig.”

  “What is it you need, Sarah?”

  “Someone to check in and make sure things are runnin’ well while I’m away.”

  “Why not leave your experienced hand behind?”

  “Like I said, I need help with the rig.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’ve never been comfortable drivin’ with a big trailer behind me.”

  “I can send someone along with you to drive and to help with loadin’ and unloadin’ the trailer.”

  Her breath left in a long whoosh. She’d hoped he’d say that. Leaving her own man in charge of her place would give her peace of mind. “I’ll pay your hand’s expenses. Put him up in the same hotel.”

  Gabe smiled. “I know you’ll treat him right. When do you need help with loadin’ the cattle?”

  “Oh, I’m sure we can handle that part.”

  Gabe shook his head. “I’ll send him over. When do you want him?”

  “Since you insist, Sunday morning before dawn. We’ve already cut out the cattle for the sale. It’ll be an easy thing to run them through a chute and onto the ramp. We’ll leave as soon as we’re done. I want to be at the auction house to get them off the truck before the worst heat of the day.”

  “Not a problem. Glad to help.” His smile was easy and his gaze steady.

  As she left, she kept her eyes off the corral and Tommy, not wanting to let anyone see where her attention wanted to linger, or for Tommy to get the wrong idea. They’d been over before they’d ever truly begun.

  They ought to be able to get on with being neighbors. When things got rough, it was nice to know folks cared and were willing to pitch in to help. Just like they had after Paul’s death.

  She shoved the memory aside and stepped up into the cab of her truck. At last, she glanced forward and instantly locked gazes with Tommy, who stood still in the corral with his rope clenched in one hand. His expression was impossible to read, but her heartbeat quickened. She looked away, started the truck and pulled out of the drive. Only when she entered the highway did she let out the breath she’d been holding.

  First time she’d set foot on the Triple Horn in eight years, and she’d survived it. That had to count for something.

  Gabe leaned against the fence, staring after Sarah’s truck kicking up dust as it drove away.

  Tommy put the coiled rope over a post and climbed the fence to drop down beside his brother. “What did she want?”

  Gabe’s mouth twisted in a wry smile. “You, by the look on her face.”

  Tommy’s mouth tightened. He didn’t have a sense of humor where Sarah was concerned. “Must have been important to bring her here.”

  “Not so much. She wants a man to ride with her to the auction next week.”

  Tommy nodded. His gut churned. His first impulse was to blurt out he’d do it, but then he’d be setting himself up for all kinds of hurt.

  Not that Gabe would give it a rest. “Needs someone to drive a truck with a trailer,” he murmured, “and help with delivering the cattle to the auction house. Said she’d put him up in her hotel.”

  Tommy heard the teasing note in his brother’s voice and wished he’d cut it out. Tommy had confided about Sarah. Told Gabe all about their long-ago affair and how she’d turned him down flat again. Gabe had encouraged him to forget her and move on. So why was he hinting he wanted him to take the job?

  Gabe’s lips pursed and then twitched into a smile. “You could get her out of your system. Once and for all. The way she looked at you, she’s ready to let loose. When you both come back, you can get on with your lives. Way I see it, right now, you’re both held back by your past and too many regrets.”

  Tommy angled his head toward his brother. “What if I do it and all I want is more?”

  Gabe’s mouth curved into a softer, nostalgic smile. “If it’s good after all those years, it ought to tell you both somethin’.”

  Tommy met his gaze. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”

  Gabe shook his head. “I’d be the last person on the planet to say you shouldn’t go there, Tommy. Look at me. I didn’t know I had a son. Wouldn’t have mattered how I felt about Lena, because I wasn’t gonna let any kid of mine grow up without his daddy. But the first time I had her in my arms again, she just felt right.”

  “You goin’ to the river this weekend?” Tommy asked, referring to Red Hawk Landing, the small summer-camping destination Lena’s grandfather owned.

  “Yeah, in the morning.”

  “You’re gonna be short-handed here what with Eddie Sandoval and Lane Whitley pitchin’ in this summer to help Lena’s grandpa at the campground.”

  “We’ll be fine. You go sow some wild oats. You haven’t had that kind of fun in a while.”

  Tommy hadn’t been with another woman since the night Sarah turned him down. Hadn’t been able to stomach the idea of going back to his wild ways, and he had never found a woman who held his interest for longer than a minute. “I better go pack.”

  Gabe chuckled. “You’ve got two days before you leave.”

  “Need to make sure I have clean clothes so I can take her out to dinner.”

  His brother’s chuckles followed him all the way to the front porch of the house. Although in a hurry, he brushed off his boots on the boot cleaner beside the door before entering. Lena would have his ass if he trailed dirt all over her clean floor.

  Inside, the aromas of baked bread and hearty chili made his mouth water.

  After Colt had moved into the new addition with Zuri and little Rose, there’d been more room and a lot less noise. Tommy had moved back into the main house. There was plenty of space, even with the traffic of blended families and shared meals. He’d grown accustomed to being fussed over by the women and had finally let go of the resentment he’d harbored for years against Zuri, Colt’s wife.

  Lena’s grandpa stayed through the winters but was always eager once spring came to get back to the river and prepare for the season. Not that the Triplehorn brothers would let him go alone.

  Even after the old man’s leg had healed, Gabe sent along two young hands the past two summers to help him with the upkeep of the camping ground. The same two hands, Lane and Eddie, were eager to head back to the river. Everyone knew the real attraction was the pretty office manager, Kayla. The two men had both tried to court her the last three summers, but she had resisted both men’s attempts at flirting.

  Lena kept house and watched over Jake and the newest Triplehorn, Violet. The women had chosen names of flowers for their girls to honor the brothers’ mother, Iris Triplehorn. Something that had made all the men tear up, because their mother would have loved it.

  The sound of Violet yammering from her playpen made Tommy soften his footsteps as he passed the living room. No doubt Lena had laid her daughter down for a nap. If she saw him, there was no way little Vi would let him pass.

  A floorboard creaked beneath his feet. Vi rolled in her playpen and her little blonde head peaked up. The moment she caught sight of him, her cornflower-blue eyes widened. “Da-da-da-da.” She hadn’t learned to be specific. All the brothers were da-da.

  Tommy pressed a finger over her his mouth, glanced toward the kitchen door and then crept softly toward the playpen. Her chubby arms reached, and he bent to scoop her up. The moment he held her against his chest, she began another round of da-das, this time louder.

  “Shhhh, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Lena’ll have my ass if she knows I didn’t let you nap.”

  “Lena’ll have your ass if her daughter learns to say ass.”

  Tommy wrinkled his nose at Vi before glancing sheepishly
over his shoulder. “She insisted.”

  Lena stood with her arms crossed over her bountiful chest. “What is it with you Triplehorns? You can’t resist a pretty girl’s smile?” But she was grinning and leaned toward Vi’s face to shake her head and make baby noises to the happily gurgling infant. She sighed. “Doesn’t look tired, does she?”

  “’Fraid not.”

  Her gaze went from her daughter to his face. Her eyebrows drew together as she studied him. “I saw Sarah Colby through the window.”

  “She stopped to ask for help gettin’ cattle to the auction in Abilene.”

  Lena quirked an eyebrow. “She ask you?”

  “No, Gabe told her he’d send someone.”

  “Gonna spring it on her at the last minute so she can’t shut you down?”

  Tommy wrinkled his nose. Did everyone know his business? “Something like that. Think it might work?”

  “Wear a light-blue shirt and that scrolled leather belt with the big brass buckle. She’ll be so befuddled, you’ll be halfway to Abilene before she unglues her tongue from the roof of her mouth.”

  Tommy’s eyebrows shot up.

  His sister-in-law laughed. “I’m married. Not blind.” She held out her arms and the baby leaned toward her.

  Tommy relinquished the infant. He wasn’t sure how much Gabe had told Lena, but he really needed a woman’s point of view. “Do you think her askin’ for help was just an excuse?”

  “I’m sure she really does need help or she wouldn’t have gotten off her ass to come over here.” Lena waggled her eyebrows. “Bet she’s talked herself out of it a dozen times. But I saw the way she tried not to look at you. Sarah’s interested.”

  Tommy let out a long breath. “I don’t think I can take it if all she wants is one night.”

  “Have to start somewhere, Tommy,” she said, patting his arm. “Have to get her used to havin’ you around, of feelin’ your touch. By the time she gets to Abilene, she’ll already be wonderin’ how she’ll stand it when you two come home and part ways.”