Stretched out flat on her back in the soft grass of Cole’s parents’ lawn, Violet stared up at the sky and willed the shift of light through the fluttering leaves of the sugar maple to smooth away her rough edges. Geezus, what a day. She’d gone to Lily expecting sympathy, and got a kick in the gut instead. And then Joe. She should’ve known he’d show up for practice. What else did he have to do? And thanks to Lily, she was now intensely aware of how juvenile her reaction had been. Hello, Violet, welcome to ninth grade.
She dragged in another breath and tried to absorb the serenity of her surroundings through her pores. The house was tucked into an indentation of the bluff with a wall of rock curving around the yard, the red and cream of the chalky stone mimicked by the stucco of the house and the brick patio. In the shade under the maple the evening air was cool, laced with the sweetness of roses and the spice of mesquite. A perfect oasis, with only the occasional ghost for company. Violet pushed her focus outward to the lazy buzz of insects and trill of birds. The tickle of grass against her bare arms. The quiet scuff of footsteps on brick.
She rolled her head to find Joe standing on the patio, sweat glistening on arms and shoulders exposed by the whacked off sleeves of his T-shirt. His bandana was printed with Tough Enough to Wear Pink breast cancer awareness ribbons, clashing with the flame-breathing red-and-black bull on his T-shirt. The shorts might have been yellow early in their existence, but had faded to something that looked like it came out the wrong end of a sick calf. And he still made her mouth water.
“Do you buy any of your own clothes?” she asked.
He glanced down and fingered the logo on his shirt. “Why would I? People give me stuff.”
He ran his gaze around the cozy backyard, taking in the neatly pruned rose bushes, thick clumps of hydrangeas with dusky blue blooms the size of Cole’s fist, clusters of red, yellow, and orange flowers in niches along the base of the bluff. Thick trunks of maples and mulberry trees enclosed it all, everything as lush and lovingly tended as if the owners had only been gone a day.
“Nice place,” he said.
“My aunt’s pride and joy. Mom makes sure it’s kept up, even if we’re between renters like now. Her version of a memorial.”
He grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it to mop his face, and Violet’s pulse jumped. His shorts hung low on his hips, baring the upper curve of his hipbones, his navel and an expanse of taut skin above and below, dusted with golden hair. One good tug and she could have those shorts down around his ankles.
Violet forced her gaze back to the maple tree, watching a tiny brown bird flit from branch to branch. Joe plopped down beside her and propped his forearms on bent knees. Her head spun at his proximity, her vertigo magnified by a rogue breeze that danced through the leaves above with a dizzying swirl of light and shadow.
“What did you say to Hank?” she asked.
“I suggested he keep his mouth shut.”
“Did your suggestion include the threat of physical violence?”
“Yep.”
“Good.” She wiggled her shoulders to scratch an itch where the grass prickled the middle of her back, concentrating on the leaves, the bird, keeping her cool. “Why the big show back there at the arena?”
“I thought it was better than ignoring each other and acting like we’re ashamed. I don’t know about you, but I’m damn sure not.”
Oh. Well. That was…almost chivalrous. But still unacceptable. “You can’t do that stuff when I’m working.”
“Yeah. Your dad mentioned that, too.”
“Daddy?” Violet’s gaze snapped to Joe’s face, but he didn’t seem upset at being dressed down. “You should know—I tend to be more trouble than I’m worth.”
Joe’s gaze took the slow route all the way down her body, then back up again. His mouth quirked. “I wouldn’t say that.”
Her system lit up like he’d detonated a series of fireworks under her skin. She tore her gaze away from him and pinned it to the tree branches until she could take a normal breath. “I acted like a jerk last night.”
He flashed a lazy grin that did more odd things to her ability to breathe. “I guess you had your reasons.”
Well, crap. The ghost of Hickory Springs rises again. Violet closed her eyes, fighting off a wave of embarrassment. “Heard about that, did you?”
“A thing or two.”
More than enough. She heaved a massive sigh. “Go ahead. Make your handcuff joke. Get it out of your system.”
“Can’t now. You ruined it.”
She opened her eyes to squint up at him. He was definitely laughing at her, but different than before. Not softer—he had too many rough edges for that—but not mocking, either. This wasn’t the arrogant, sarcastic Joe from the night at the Lone Steer. Which had to make her wonder—
“Why are you pretending to be so nice?” she demanded.
His forehead creased in affront. “What do you mean? I’m a nice guy.”
Violet snorted.
“What? I am.” He frowned at her, looking truly offended. When Violet only arched her brows, his eyes dropped, his frown turning sulky. “I’ve been in a bad mood, all right?”
“I guess you’ve had your reasons,” she said.
One corner of his mouth curled at the echo of his own words. “Heard about that, did you?”
“A thing or two.”
He huffed out a laugh, then ducked his chin to stare at the grass between his feet. “So if we agree that we’ve both been jerks, can we start fresh?”
“Uh, sure. I guess.” Violet was still for several thuds of her heart. “Start what?”
“You. Me. All of this.” He waggled a hand back and forth between them, angling his head to give her a look that, for Joe, verged on bashful. “I am sorry about butting in here without asking, and then…well, everything else. I’ve been so twisted up in my own problems, I wasn’t paying attention, and I caused a lot of headaches for you. So if there’s a way I can make it better…”
“Can you fix the trouble back in Oregon?”
“I hope so.” His expression went grim. “Things got out of hand in Puyallup. I over-reacted. So did Dick.”
Violet hesitated, then decided she might as well just get it out in the open. “Did he have good reason?”
Joe’s chin jerked up and once again he looked insulted. “Like I said…I don’t believe in trespassing. And I hope I’m not dumb enough to piss in my own pot. Lyle’s wife was a mess that night. I didn’t touch her other than to make sure she got back to her room before she did something she’d regret.”
Because he might not be your typical nice guy, but Violet was beginning to suspect he was an honorable one. “Does Dick know that?”
“He should after fifteen years.” Anger flared in Joe’s eyes, then died back to regret. “Blowing a fuse and running off to Texas wasn’t a smart move. It made him look bad, and there’s nothing he hates more.”
“But he fired you!”
“He would’ve backed down if I’d just let him cool off and then apologized.”
Violet twisted onto her side to gape at him, incredulous. “For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“That’s not the point.”
“It’s totally the point!” She wanted to reach out and shake him. Where was his pride? His self-respect? “How can you let him treat you that way?”
His shrug was tight. Defensive. “That’s just Dick. It’s not personal.”
“And it’s worth putting up with his bullshit to be on that ranch?”
“Yes.” The reply was immediate, unequivocal, and left no room for argument.
She settled onto her back, scowling up at the tree. Not your business, Violet. But it rubbed every inch of her the wrong way.
“So?” Joe asked. “What do you say? Can we try again?”
The shadows flitted across his face and over the exposed skin of his shoulders and arms, lighting here then there like butterflies. She fought the urge to reach out and trap one, to see if she could feel it flutter under her fingertip. A muscle beneath his taut, golden skin twitched as if he read her thoughts.
“I suppose that depends on what you have in mind,” she said.
The muscle twitched again, then relaxed, and he gave her a smile that drop-kicked nice right out of the stadium. “Wyatt says I need to court you.”
“Court me?” Violet let out an embarrassingly loud guffaw. “Oh, please. Like you’d even know where to start.”
“I’ll figure it out.” He flashed an impish grin. “I’m pretty quick, you know.”
He plucked a blade of grass and trailed the tip of it across the back of her hand. She shivered. He laughed, unholy intent glowing in those green eyes. Violet rolled away, then jack-knifed into a seated position. When Joe made to move closer, she pointed a finger as if commanding a dog.
“You! Down!”
“Why?” He cast a deliberate gaze around the yard. “Nobody here but us and the birds.”
“Until you lay a hand on me. Then a troop of girl scouts will march through here on a bird-watching expedition. With cameras. That’s just my luck.” She scuttled out of reach, shaking her finger when he scooted after her. “Uh-uh-uh. No touching. We’re both covered in sweat and arena dirt and I smell like a horse.”
He grinned. “My next favorite perfume after oranges and strawberries.”
“Lord, you are shameless.” Violet sputtered a laugh. “But unless you’ve got a condom tucked in your shoe, we’re out of luck, so don’t even start.”
“Afraid you can’t control yourself?”
“Yep.” She scrambled to her feet, her hand extended to ward him off. “You just stand back and keep your hands where I can see them, hombre.”
He laughed, then sprang to his feet with an ease that made Violet feel like a gravity-challenged hippo. She kept a full arm’s length between them as they walked around the side of the house and out front to her car. Owning her womanhood would have to wait until she’d had a shower. And a door with a deadbolt.
When she opened the car door, Joe propped his hands on the frame and looked at her over the top, his expression grave. “What I did today…your dad was right. That stuff doesn’t belong in the arena. It won’t happen again.”
Again his sincerity unbalanced her. “Okay. Thanks.”
“And I’ll watch myself around Beni. I’ve had the pleasure of watching my mother date. I won’t inflict that on a kid.”
“I appreciate it.” Her head bobbed as if it was on a string.
“My pleasure.” His voice had that deep, suggestive rumble again. The one that made certain parts of her body hum in anticipation.
She climbed into the car, squeezing her thighs tight against the ache. He shut the door behind her.
“So does this mean we’re going steady?” she joked.
“I guess it does, for as long as I’m here.” He smiled, a warm, wide-open smile that knocked her senseless. He braced both hands on the open driver’s window, his gaze taking liberties with her body before returning to her face. “How in the hell does Delon stay at his own end of the house?”
“He, um, isn’t attracted to me that way.”
Joe leaned in until they were nose to nose, eye to eye. “Delon is an idiot.”
He kissed her, his mouth quick and hungry. Before she could react, he danced out of reach like a kid playing tag, both palms in the air.
“No hands,” he said, and tossed her one last triumphant grin before bounding off down the driveway.
Violet sat frozen behind the wheel, her system in utter chaos as she watched those effortless, gravity-defying strides carry him away. Hoo-boy. This was gonna get interesting.