Page 57 of Falling for the Maverick

Nothing would change. The exception would be his feelings, which were deepening with each sunrise and sunset. He woke thinking of her, and despite his bone-weary fatigue at the end of the day, his dreams were filled with erotic images of what he wanted to do with her.

It’d taken only two weeks for him to realize that Michelle Corey was someone he wanted not only in his life but also in his future. She’d grown up on a ranch and loved ranch life. She was down to earth, the quintessential hometown country girl in boots and jeans. Then with a minimum of effort, she’d morph into understated sophistication in what she called her little black dress that left him entertaining naughty thoughts. Watching her garner the attention of other men in the restaurant had him experiencing a foreign emotion of unadulterated male pride. What other men were looking at was his for the evening.

And what about beyond?

Lucas was forced to reflect on whether he truly had Michelle’s commitment to continue to date after the end of the month. After all, she’d appeared so casual about them not sleeping together. Was seeing him merely something she did to pass time when she wasn’t involved with her work at the daycare or before she started teaching?

When dinner ended, Lucas paid the check, thanked the server for excellent service, then escorted Michelle out to his car. She admitted to feeling slightly tipsy after drinking two glasses of wine, and he suggested she take a nap during the ride back to Tenacity. He wanted to invite her to stay at Big Doggo but knew she’d decline since she had to work on things she’d neglected to do.

Lucas turned on the car’s radio to soft tunes as he drove. Michelle had closed her eyes and fallen asleep less than ten minutes into the drive. He placed his hand over her knee and held it there until he was forced to remove it to shift gears.

She’d asked him a lot of questions, and Lucas had revealed details he’d never told another woman, including his mother and sisters. They weren’t aware of how close he’d come to a mental breakdown when he’d pushed himself to become one of the top investment brokers at the company. It wasn’t that he was competing with the other brokers, but it had become a personal contest to see how much money he could earn for his clients, while he ignored the signals telling him that he was burning the candle at both ends.

The day he was unable to get out of bed to go into the office had saved not only his emotional well-being but also his life. If he’d been an automobile, the gas gauge would’ve been on E, and he would have eventually stopped altogether.

Quitting and traveling had given him a new perspective on how he wanted to live his life. Now with Big Doggo, Flash and his horses, life was good. He couldn’t help but feel that someone like Michelle Corey would make it even better and more complete.

Michelle woke up as if by instinct when he entered Tenacity’s town limits. She reminded him of a cat when she stretched her arms above her head, chiding him for not waking her up. Lucas reminded her that she’d needed rest, so she’d be alert enough to drive back to Circle C.

He walked her to her vehicle, holding her close to his body, then slowly lowered his head to kiss her. “Good night, sweetheart. Let me know when you get home.”

Michelle nodded. “I will.”

Lucas stood in the same spot, watching until the lights on the rear of her vehicle disappeared, then turned to find Flash standing only a few feet away. “It’s okay, buddy. You’ll get to see her again.”

Flash let out a soft woof as they headed to the house together. A house once filled with tasty food and movie soundtracks Lucas loved reliving.

“I love her,” he whispered.

And he did love Michelle, but he didn’t know how or why it had happened so quickly. Or what to do about it.

* * *

Michelle walked into the kitchen a week following her date with Lucas at Coeur de l’Ouest, stopping when she saw Shane. “You’re back,” she said, as she approached him.

Shane smiled and hugged her. “Remi and I came back last night. I came to see you, but your car wasn’t there, so I assumed you were out.”

“I was,” she admitted. She’d gone into town to listen to music at the Grizzly Bar. “How was your honeymoon?”

“Wonderful.”

“Where is your bride—my new sister?”

Shane filled a mug with freshly brewed coffee and handed it to Michelle. “She left for Bronco earlier this morning because she has to begin practicing for next month’s Mistletoe Rodeo.” He leaned closer when their mother walked into the kitchen. “What’s this I hear about you hooking up with Lucas Brandt?”

“Who told you that?” she whispered.

“Aaron.”

Michelle clenched her teeth. “Aaron needs to mind his own damned business.”

Shane frowned. “Are you having a beef with him?”

“You want beef instead of chicken sausage?” Patty asked as she began pulling breakfast items out of the refrigerator.

Michelle shared a look with Shane. “No, Mom. Shane and I were talking about something else.”

“Oh, okay. Anything I can help with?” she asked.