Chapter Seven

The midday sun glinted off Reese’s hair, making it sparkle, and James couldn’t get enough of her humor, adorable pursed lips, or the lightness she’d brought into his life in a matter of hours. But also, those belly-deep feelings he hadn’t experienced since they’d dated.

“A contract? Oh my.” She propped her hand on the back of her saddle and cocked her head. “This sounds official. Do tell.”

Houdini let out a long bellowing moo as if she had an opinion on the matter.

“You mentioned mostly traveling and only coming back now and then. So, until you get your dream job, you should stay in the cottage to get the full picture of what it’s like.”

One brow tipped up. “And what’s the contract for?”

He sensed her apprehension matched his own, and that made him feel better about spending time together. She wasn’t a clingy, needy woman throwing herself at him. “A lease agreement for part-time use. We can do a trial run for the rest of the summer. One dollar for every week you spend here. And a part-time cowboy who will help take care of your…needs, whatever those might be, whenever you do come to Cypress Creek. What do you say?”

Tavish tossed his head as if detecting his rider’s nervous energy.

“Part-time? I’m intrigued. So, I get the house part of the deal, but I want to clarify the cowboy part.”

His heart was riding up his throat, and he rubbed the back of his neck, inhaling a calming breath through his nose. Relax, dude. “I’m asking you if you want to have a no-strings-attached thing for the rest of the summer.” The spark in her eyes made him think he was about to be laughed at, but she smiled and caught the corner of her lip between her teeth.

“A short-term summer arrangement?” she asked.

“That pretty much sums it up.”

“Hmmm. That’s a proposal I will consider.”

The little tease was going to keep him in suspense, but he couldn’t blame her. A drop of sweat rolled down the long, pale column of her neck, and he wanted to trace it with his finger…or his tongue.

“What?” She swiped her neck. “Do I have a bug on me?”

He’d been caught staring but didn’t care. Feasting his eyes on this woman made up for any embarrassment. She was not only beautiful, but clever and fun to talk to—from his experience, a rare find. “No bugs. But I’m worried about you getting sunburned. I should’ve given you a hat.”

“I always wear sunscreen. Do you think I should get a cowboy hat?”

“Definitely. You’ll look sexy as hell. I’ll buy you one.” As soon as the words left his mouth, his throat tightened, and a tingle of surprise spiraled in his belly. He wanted to buy gifts for her. Spoil her. Keep her around. This whole second-chance idea had not been on his list of approved activities for the casual relationships he held to. Had he gone too far with this offer?

“James? Earth to James.”

He jerked his head toward Reese. “Sorry. My mind wandered off.”

“I can see that. Tell me more about Benjamin MacLachlan and the family traditions he started. Didn’t you say he was already married when he arrived in Texas?”

“Yes. After settling here, he and Elspeth had two daughters, and my Great-Grandpa Angus was their youngest. You saw all the carvings in the crossbeam in my living room?”

“I was wondering about those.”

“When each of their children married, he added their Celtic knot and initials after the wedding.”

“Oh my God,” she gasped and unknowingly tightened her legs, making Lady J snort and pick up speed.

He easily kept pace and scanned the horizon, adrenaline speeding his pulse. “What’s wrong?”

A slow smile spread across her face. “Think about what you just said. After their wedding, each couple marked the occasion with the carvings. They marked their vows. It could be the answer to the first mystery clue.”

His skin prickled. “Reese Turner, you’re brilliant. Let’s head home and check it out.”

They stood in the center of the ranch house living room and stared at the ceiling. “How did I not realize the answer to Ben’s mystery note could be right above my head?”

“Probably because you see it every day.”

“I need to get up there and take a closer look. Be right back.”

Once he had an A-frame ladder folded out in the center of the living room, he climbed up and pulled a small flashlight from his pocket. A fine layer of dust shimmered in the beam of light along with a rectangle of wood that was a slightly different color. His pulse quickened. “I think we’ve found something. Can you come up the other side of the ladder and hold this?”

She joined him and took the flashlight. “When we were looking at those old papers in the library, I saw that your great-grandmother’s name was Satsa. Is that Scottish?”

“It’s Cherokee.” He flicked open his pocketknife. “I was four years old when she died, but I have memories of her singing to me. She was an herbalist like your grandmother. When I’m sick, I sometimes dream of her sitting on my bed.”

“I have my grandmother’s journal. It’s all handwritten with lots of drawings and maps of where medicinal plants grew. Granddad called her Mother Nature, and I always thought she had a bit of magic.”

“She probably did.” The blade of his knife slid into a crack, and with a bit of pressure, a section of wood came free with a satisfying creak and pop. Goose bumps sprang up on his arms as he placed the rectangular lid on top of the ladder, then reached into a hollowed-out compartment and retrieved a box. This is for real.

“Oh snap! I was right,” she said.

Across the top of the ladder, he kissed her soft, sweet lips, enjoying the warmth spreading through his chest. And loving the sparkle in her blue eyes. “Grandpa would say you’re a clever lass. You go down first before you vibrate the ladder joints loose.”

“I’m just so excited.”

They sat on the couch, and he handed her the wooden box, carved with the same Celtic knot as the beam. “Open it. You’re the one who found the note and figured out the location.”

She ran her finger over the carved top and paused as if savoring the moment. The hinges creaked as the lid opened to reveal a leather drawstring bag and another note on thick, yellowed paper. She presented it cradled in her palm like a rare treasure.

Sharing this priceless experience with Reese felt right. With care, he unfolded the next message.

“Let time gone by point you in a direction that honors the past.

When it’s not right the first time, retry, rebuild.

Become The Keepers.

Benjamin”

The echo of a time long gone sent a shiver along his spine. Could it mean trying to rebuild my relationship with Reese? Getting these messages from a man he’d heard so many stories about had him being all soppy and sentimental. “Let’s see what’s in the bag.”

Reese poured the contents into his other hand. A reddish arrowhead and small seashell fossil were cool against his skin. “An arrowhead is also called a point. This one is well crafted. Look at the perfect symmetry.” With one finger, she traced a sharp edge, and the brush of her touch across his palm made him shiver.

She picked up the fossil and rolled it between her fingers. “And they’re both things from the past. But what is the place that honors the past?”

“On this ranch, that could be so many places.” He put the items into the leather bag and put it in the box. “But right now, I’m starving and can’t focus without food. Let’s go into town for dinner, and I’ll keep thinking on it.”

She put a hand to her stomach. “I’m hungry, too.”

Unable to resist, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “How about we reward ourselves, my little mystery hunter.” Her lips met his and stoked an inner fire he was having a hell of a time controlling.

At Lorenzo’s Italian Restaurant, James gripped Reese’s hand as she stepped out onto the running board of his truck, her turquoise dress fluttering in the breeze, threatening to fly up around her hips. He smoothed it down with a slow caress, sending electric pulses up his arms. She leaned forward like she’d wrap herself around him, and he wanted nothing more. Being alone with her sounded like a better idea than hours in public.

We should get takeout and go home.

She used his shoulders for support and stepped down onto the gravel parking lot. “I’m starving. Apparently, horseback riding and mystery hunting gives me a big appetite.”

“Me, too.” Maybe she can be dessert.

The sunset glowed red and orange behind the trees as he took her hand and led her into the restaurant. It was small but elegant, with dark wood, wine-colored walls, and candlelight.

A young woman showed them to a table in the corner. “I’m Ellie, and…” She seemed to lose her train of thought when he smiled at her, and a blush crept across her cheeks. “I’ll be right back with your water.” Ellie practically ran from their table.

“Oh my,” Reese said and chuckled. “You sure got her all flustered.”

“I didn’t do anything.” He’d had this effect on women since he could remember, but he wasn’t about to admit it. James pulled out Reese’s chair, leaning in to smell the fruity scent of her hair, which made him want to tip her chair back and ravage her mouth. Public displays of affection were normally something he avoided, but she was making him want to break all kinds of rules he’d laid out for himself. Settling for one kiss on the top of her head, he took his own seat.

“Just flashing that smile of yours at our waitress appears to be enough to do the trick.”

He shrugged and tipped his head to look at the menu, just on the off chance his own face turned red.

“Hey, DM.”

One of his Dungeons & Dragons buddies crossed the room and was probably about to embarrass him further. “What’s up, Rick?”

“I found that set of dice you’ve been looking to add to your collection. I’ll bring them next time.”

“Great,” James said and willed his friend to shut up. “Do you remember Reese Turner? She went to high school with us for a little while.”

Rick’s eyes narrowed for a second and then his smile grew. “Oh, yes. Nice to see you again.” He stuck out his hand. “Rick Phillips.”

“I remember you. Star of the track team.”

“I’m not so fast anymore.” He waved to someone across the restaurant. “If you two will excuse me, my wife has arrived. Great to see you again, Reese.”

“You, too.” She grinned at James. “He called you DM and mentioned dice, so I’m assuming he plays D&D?”

“Yep. He doesn’t usually call me that. He was trying to embarrass me.”

A slow smile brightened her face. “I think it’s charming, and I hope you’ll show me your dice collection sometime.”

He chuckled. “Anytime.”

…

Reese admired her date across the small table, candlelight flickering and making his eyes sparkle like bits of emerald. His starched white dress shirt made his dark hair and tan skin stand out. “You look very handsome tonight.”

“Thanks, but it’s just because I’m in the reflection of your beauty.”

“Where did you learn to be such a smooth-talking, silver-tongued devil?”

“I was born this way.” He winked as he took her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to whisper something naughty about what else needed kissing, their waitress returned with glasses of ice water.

Note to self, Reese—public place.

The young woman did not raise her eyes, no doubt to keep from looking at James. “Could I interest you in a bottle of wine or a cocktail? We have a lovely Argentinian Malbec on special tonight.”

James squeezed Reese’s hand. “What’s your pleasure?”

Those words from his lips gave her all sorts of ideas she could not share in front of the other woman. “A bottle of Malbec sounds perfect.”

The wine soon arrived, along with Italian bread knots dripping in garlic butter. Like he’d done with the hot French fries, he immediately popped a piece in his mouth. A glistening drop clung to the corner of his lip, and she leaned forward to swipe it away with her thumb. He caught her wrist and sucked the butter from her finger. The warm, gentle suction of his mouth blazed a trail straight to her most feminine parts. When he nipped the tip of her thumb, she pressed her thighs tightly together. This man is rocking my world.

He didn’t look smug or pleased with the results of his flirting like she’d expect from such a confident man. Instead, he looked as taken aback as she felt.

“Do you still rodeo like you did in high school?” she asked to fill in the pause and send her thoughts in a new direction.

“I gave that up years ago.”

“The morning after that school dance you left for an out-of-town rodeo, but you called me three times.”

“I wanted to call more, but didn’t want to look desperate,” he admitted.

A flutter erupted in her chest. “You certainly never came across as desperate.”

He shook his head and poured more red wine into their glasses. “Reese, I’m sorry I didn’t apologize and make things right back in high school. I was a dickhead.”

Her brain rapidly compared his offense to some of the more recent ones she’d suffered. “There are far worse guys out there. Trust me, I found them.” Boy had she, and that was a big part of her reasons for being cautious now.

“You said something about almost getting married.”

She sighed and let a sip of wine give her the courage to tell an embarrassing story. “I was engaged for a few months in college.” She looked around and lowered her voice. “Until I came home from my parents’ early one weekend and found him running a high-stakes poker game complete with paid female entertainment. And he stole money from me before I kicked him out.”

“For real?” He frowned. “Want me to hunt him down and kick his ass?”

He was kidding—at least she thought he was—but his suggestion brought a smile to her face. “Thanks for the sweet offer, but no. Now, fair is fair. Tell me about your almost wife.”

He grimaced. “She was only after my name and money. But the real ass-kicker, she already had a husband.”

“What? No way.” Guess he can sympathize with the embarrassment I suffered.

“Yep. She was waiting to see if she could trap me before signing divorce papers.”

“Wow.”

Their salads arrived and halted their conversation that was better suited for a less public location.

From the corner of her eye, Reese caught sight of a portly, gray-haired man in a suit. Her breath hitched.

Is that Chet Everett?

She banged her shin on the table leg when turning to stare at his back as he walked out the door.

“Reese? You okay?”

She rubbed her throbbing leg. “I’m fine. Just thought I saw someone I know.” She needed answers, and if Mr. E wouldn’t return her calls, she’d go see him tomorrow and find out why. But for now, she’d enjoy the fantastic food and conversation.

As they went out the front door, she almost ran into Mrs. Cooper, the town busybody everyone called Madame de Vil.

The old woman pointed a bony finger. “Better watch out for this MacLachlan boy.” Without stopping, she continued inside.

A shiver rocked Reese’s spine, and she hurried her steps. “I can’t believe Mrs. Cooper is still around. I used to see her when I came to town with my granddad. Even though I’m grown, she still frightens me.”

He took her hand and laced their fingers. “She takes her bitterness out on others and has never liked me because I always beat out her grandson in sports. Ignore her. Most people do, or they run the other way,” he said through a tight jaw.

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. I know the risk of getting close to James again. I’m being cautious.