Chapter Fifteen

 

"You just gonna let her think you don't give a darn?" Caleb fussed a few days later.

"Easier for her this way." Hank shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe she'll stop caring so much now that she thinks you don't care about her at all. Is that what you want?" Caleb nudged Hank in the ribs as he passed.

Carrying a saddle, Hank threw it on the ground.

"Of all the people here, I thought you'd understand this. Of course I love her. Of course I want to be with her, take care of her, marry her even, but what can I offer her?"

"You can offer what every woman wants, your heart. It's downright cruel to not let her know how you really feel, Hank. Letty really loves you. I thought you would at least see that when she moved out of here. She gave up a fortune for you, don't you know that?"

"I didn't ask her to. I didn't want her to. I don't know what got into her moving away like that."

"You got into her, that's what. She loves you, you big dope," Caleb fumed. "What's holdin' you back now? She's already lost the money. She couldn't have done anything better to prove how she feels. But you…"

"Dammit Caleb, I want her more than anything in this world. But if there is any chance of her getting the money, I want her to have it. She's a McKay for God's sake. I don't want to be the man she gives everything up for. I want her so bad I can't think straight any more. I can't do my job right. I think about her all the time, Caleb. She's got me in knots."

Caleb smiled. "Then it looks like your tellin' the wrong person…don't it."

Hank leaned against the stall. "If you was her father, what would you think of a regular cowboy wanting her?"

"Depends on what you mean by wanting her, son."

"I want to marry her. That's what you do when you love a woman. Make her mine. I'm just scared I can't keep her happy."

"Can you be true to her, love her, and always take care of her?"

"Of course, that part's easy."

"Then if I was her father, I'd say that's all a father can really ask of a son-in-law."

Hank pushed his hat back. "Easy for you to say, you aren't rich like her real father."

Caleb shook his head. "Maybe I'm not, son. But if I knew a man loved her as much as I know you love her, I'd be more than satisfied, because love…is what life is about."

Hank thought about that a moment.

Caleb put his arm on Hank's shoulder. "There's nothin' better than the love of a good woman. She just gave up a fortune for you, don't that tell you anything?"

"Caleb, we haven't even dated."

"Then I'd say it's about time you did." Caleb chuckled.

 

***

 

It was two-thirty in the afternoon; Letty walked home and couldn't wait to put her feet up. She was tired, but more than that she was hurting.

She'd given up a fortune in the gamble that Hank cared for her. Clearly he didn't. That morning she had rode into his camp, he barely acknowledged the danger she'd been in. If that didn't speak volumes, nothing did. So she'd tried to put him in the back of her mind forever. Only it didn't work. There wasn't a moment she didn't think about him, dream about the future they could have had.

Giving up her inheritance really didn't bother her. She didn't need that security. She had a good education, she had new friends, and her sisters, although they didn't understand her, loved her.

At times like these she missed her father. What kind of loving wisdom would he give her to make her heal?

She unlocked her door and without even thinking she went to get the foot bath she used every day to sooth her feet. She filled it with hot water and then put it in front of her favorite rocking chair along with a towel. She left the front door open, at least it had a screen.

She sighed heavily as she leaned back and closed her eyes. All she wanted to do was soak her feet and forget about love and loving.

But when someone picked her foot up and began messaging it, her eyes popped wide open.

"W-where did you come from?" she demanded as Hank stroked her foot so heavenly.

"Saw you almost limping home…" he said softly, his eyes going all over her. "And you left your door open."

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked, pulling the uniform of her dress between her legs.

"I'm massaging your feet; don't they hurt?" he asked.

"Yes…It feels wonderful, but you don't have to do that," she started to object. "How did you get in?"

"I guess you were so tired you left it open…" He gestured to the door.

He raised a hand. "I think I do have to do this…Now relax and enjoy it. I don't offer this kind of service very often."

"Hank, I don't understand. What are you doing here?"

"Jesus used to wash feet, you know?" He smiled at her.

"Y-yes, I know."

"I can see why," he murmured.

"Uh…yes, so can I…" She watched him take the other foot and message it. "Why aren't you at work?"

Hank dried her foot gently. "Well, Caleb thought I was pretty useless today."

"What do you mean?" she asked, watching him dry the other foot.

"Because…all I can do is worry about you…" he said slowly. "Worry that I almost let you walk out of my life for good. Worry that someone would come along before I got a chance to tell you how I really feel about you."

Letty got up and moved the foot massager to the counter. She turned around to look at him. "I don't understand?"

"He says we need to date." Hank smiled.

"Date? Why?" she asked breathlessly.

"Because when a man loves a woman, the way I love you, that's what they do." Hank came closer.

He was standing right in front of her, almost chest to chest. "Love?"

"Of course. Put me out of my misery, date me. And I've got the perfect first date."

"Oh, do you?"

"I'll take you home to grandma…"

She stared at him, her tears rolling down her cheeks now. "Oh Hank…do you mean it?"

He plopped his hat on the counter, then his arms came around her. "It's past time you met. Even she has noticed a difference in me. But…we'll talk about grandma a lot later. We'll talk about love, and marriage in that order, when I'm done kissing you…if that's alright. It's been too long since I held my girl in my arms."

Then he bent his head tentatively, and staring into her eyes he smiled. "I've been thinking about this for so long. Too long…"

And then he kissed her.

Letty moaned the minute their lips met. He pulled her tight against him, as he proceeded in showing her all the pent up love and desire a man could hold for a woman. His lips ravaged hers, but she wasn't complaining. Her response was a slow melt, and once again she felt a warm arousal announcing itself against her. She didn't mind, she welcomed it.

She whimpered as he kissed her face, his lips creating a trail over her nose, and to her ear. "I love you, you know?" he whispered.

"Oh Hank, I love you too…" she cried.

"We may have to date after the wedding," he grumbled, pulling her ever closer.

"That's fine with me," she murmured.

"You want a big wedding?" he asked, pulling on her lower lip.

"I want a fast one…" She sighed, giving herself up to his powerful kisses.

"Me too. One thing about it darlin', we are both of the same mind." He smiled against her mouth. "I think we have been from the start. We both knew what we wanted, just afraid to reach out and grab it."

"Hank…." She managed to pull away just enough to get the words out. "Does the money matter to you?"

"Doesn't look like we're going to have to worry about that now. And I know it will be rough on you learning to live without it. But, I find I can't live without you, Letty. So the money might get in the way of everything but lovin' you. And so I'll just keep you barefoot and pregnant all the time." He smiled.

"Hmm…promise?"

"Promise."

"Can I keep my job?" she asked later when he pulled away to look at her.

"If you want to." He pulled her to the small couch. "I'll just have to message your feet every day, is all. There's something very sexy about feet, you know."

He set her in his lap and she kissed his clean shaven cheek. "That day…when I rode into your camp and you said you were riding fence. Why…I mean…you acted strange…"

"Honey, I know it looked bad. But you've got to understand, it took me an hour to get over the fact that you were still alive. I wasn't riding fence. That's not my job. I was looking for you. Caleb told me what happened and I told him I'd find you. Problem was, I didn't know how I'd find you and what condition you would be in. I was near out of my mind. And when you just rode into camp, safe, and healthy, I couldn't believe it. I was mad, I was frustrated, and I never wanted you more than that day. You were right about Thunder, he is your horse, and I'll be sure to let everyone know it, too. But if I had kissed you that day, well…let's just say we'd already be married."

"You didn't even hold me, or kiss me…I was so glad to see you. So happy."

"I was trying to be the big tough cowboy and let you go. All I accomplished was making myself miserable. But Caleb made me see I couldn't let you go. You're more important to me than all the money in Texas, the ranch, or anything else. When I became so ornery around the ranch, Caleb couldn't stand me. He finally made me see the error of my ways." He kissed her nose and smiled. "He told me to go get you and bring you home."

She held him around the neck. "Remind me to thank Caleb."

"When you moved out, and gave up all that money, I was pulled between making you mine that day and waiting to see if you'd stick it out. I nearly came after you then. But I thought you'd change your mind. I thought you couldn't do it," he confessed.

"Money means nothing when you are alone. I loved you. I think I've loved you since the first day I saw you. I felt shameless. That day in the barn, when Caleb walked in, I wanted you."

"I couldn't walk straight for a week."

She giggled.

"When I saw you and Thunder together that first day, I fell hard. I didn't know what hit me."

"And to think we haven't even dated yet."

"Tomorrow we'll go meet my grandmother," he said as he pulled her thoroughly against him.

"Tomorrow…why not today?" she asked.

He smiled impishly. "Because today, we've got too much lovin' to make up for."

"Oh…" She sighed happily.

"You know, I used to be afraid of that ring of fire around you every time I got close to you, but now…I'm ready to be consumed by it."

"Hmm…I can't wait to meet grandma…well, maybe…tomorrow."

 

The End