Need You Now

“No, thanks. I’m good.” He gave her a smile that should’ve made her breath catch.

Instead, she sighed as it sank in that Chelsea was right. Melanie wasn’t anything like the exciting and daring women she saw on television. And she certainly wasn’t a woman a man like Lucas would look at twice.

2

LUCAS STOOD BACK and let Cody tighten the lug nuts on the spare tire. Fortunately, they’d been working in the shadow of the bus, but it was still warm. Earlier he’d asked one of the kids to find him a clean rag and he used it to blot his face before rubbing the grime from his hands.

Melanie had checked with him once and then disappeared into the office again. He thought about sending the ever-helpful Chelsea to get her, but he wanted to have a word with her in private.

“I want to talk to your teacher,” he said to Cody. “You don’t need me. You’ve got this.”

“Yeah, no problem.” He put a little more muscle into the job. Strictly for show. The kid had it bad for Chelsea and all she’d done was ignore him and flirt with Lucas.

Man, the girl scared the crap out of him. Since when were seventeen-year-old girls so damn bold? Lucky for him, he hadn’t been around teenagers much. But he’d been one himself not that long ago, and getting dissed by a girl like Chelsea? It hurt.

He took his time, scoping out all the new construction. The barn hadn’t been painted yet. Another structure was missing a wall but there were no workers in sight. Could be the sanctuary had run out of money. That sort of thing happened too often. He ducked his head to see inside the older barn. Bales of hay were stacked in the corner. Several goats roamed freely, pilfering scratch from clucking chickens.

What interested him most were the corrals and fenced pasture. He knew Safe Haven could handle over a hundred horses space-wise. As for feed and vet services, his organization would cover those costs. If he could convince Melanie Knowles and Shea Monroe to participate in the program.

The log-cabin-style office was obviously new. He scraped the bottom of his boots on the mat, then knocked on the door that matched the green roof.

“It’s open,” Melanie called out.

He stepped inside and waited for her to look up.

She lifted her head, her brown eyes widening. “Oh. Sorry, I thought you were one of the kids.” She swept back flyaway strands of dark hair and quickly remade her ponytail. “Are you done?”

“Cody is finishing up.”

“That was fast.” She tapped the stack of papers she’d been working on into a neat pile and stood. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.” She blinked at his chest. “You’re probably looking for your shirt. I put it in the bus.”

The faint rosy blush that spread across her cheekbones reminded him of Chelsea’s comment. He supposed most kids considered their teachers old and stodgy. But Melanie? In that close-fitting red T-shirt and jeans, she looked barely older than her students.

Not until she cleared her throat did he realize he’d been staring. She came around the desk and went to a dorm-size refrigerator in the corner. She bent over and rifled around inside. Luckily, he’d stopped noticing how the soft denim molded her ass a second before she turned around and passed him a bottle of water.

“There’s a sink in the barn where you can clean up if you like,” she said and went to step past him.

He moved to accommodate her but got in the way instead. “Sorry,” he said and noticed she’d blushed again. Her arm had barely grazed his chest.

Clearly Melanie was shy. Maybe that was what Chelsea had meant by old-fashioned.

“Well, this is awkward,” Melanie said, picking her phone up off the desk. “Here you’ve done all this work, and now I have to desert you.”

“You have to get the kids back to school, right?” He unscrewed the cap and gulped down half the water.

“I do,” she said in a distracted voice. “I’ll be gone for about an hour.”

“No problem.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm and saw that she’d been watching him guzzle. It made him self-conscious. He wasn’t used to being around too many people, certainly not women. And here he was shirtless. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just hang around and wait.”

“Oh, sure. A volunteer is in the quarantine stable. Her name’s Kathy. Her husband, Levi, will be along soon to help. They’re practically permanent fixtures here.” She smiled and opened the door for him.

Lucas hesitated. “Look, what happened with that tire could’ve been avoided. Whoever’s in charge of the bus was negligent.”

Her lips parted with a soft gasp. “I hope you don’t think I’m making light of the accident. I feel awful about it. In fact, I’ll take your information with me and call the insurance company so they can get to work on fixing your vehicle.”

“I don’t give a damn about the truck.” He hadn’t meant to sound gruff or make her flinch. “I’m thinking about you and the kids.”

She looked away. “It’s as much my fault as anyone else’s since I drive the bus, too. I should’ve checked.”

“Would you know what to look for?”

She frowned at him, her chin lifting defensively. “No, but I will from now on.”

He smiled. “I’ll show you if you like.”

Melanie nodded, but he could see in her face she was still offended. Or feeling guilty.

Hell, he should’ve kept his mouth shut. He’d meant to help and it had gone sideways. When was he gonna get it? How big a price did he have to pay before he finally learned to mind his own business?

* * *

MELANIE PARKED HER compact Ford close to the gravel path leading to the office and resisted the urge to check her hair in the rearview mirror. Already she regretted using a little blush and tinted lip balm. Kathy would probably notice and start getting stupid ideas. She was always pushing Melanie to date or at least get out and do things that weren’t church related. She knew Kathy meant well, but having a social life wasn’t that simple.

It was 5:35. Melanie wasn’t sorry that she’d taken an extra ten minutes to shower, especially when she noticed Levi’s truck parked close to the old barn, loaded with supplies. Lucas’s truck hadn’t been moved. Apparently he’d felt no need to get as far away from the crazy bus driver as possible. She still couldn’t believe she’d hit him. Usually there weren’t more than two cars in the lot.

She scanned the corrals, pleased to see the geldings playing a little. Already they were getting stronger. Somebody had taken a bay mare to the second corral. The rest of the sixty-two horses Safe Haven had given refuge to were either in the stables or grazing in the north pasture.

No sign of any humans. She opened her door and heard laughter coming from the old barn. Kathy and Levi, of course, and Lucas. He had a deep voice, so she’d expected his laugh would have that low sexy timbre, as well. The sound even matched his buff body and rugged good looks.

She stopped halfway to the barn. Thinking of him that way? Big mistake. She swiped her tongue over her lips, then used a finger to rub off the residual gloss. Taking an extra breath, she walked with purpose toward the voices.

Lucas had changed his shirt. He now wore a black T-shirt, the same jeans and cowboy boots from earlier and a grin that sent her pulse into overdrive. He didn’t see her.... Neither did Kathy or Levi.... They were focused on something happening in the corner. Even standing with his legs spread, Lucas was taller than Levi, who Melanie knew was close to six feet. His arms were folded across his chest, his biceps straining the snug sleeves and wreaking further havoc on her nervous system.

They were all watching Pinocchio, a notoriously mischievous pygmy goat, so they didn’t see her approach. It wasn’t until she came up behind them that she saw what was so amusing. The determined Pinocchio was trying to mate with Selma, an unfazed older Nubian nearly twice his size. The poor little guy would never reach, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

Melanie wasn’t sure what embarrassed her more...watching the animal giving it his all or being embarrassed over something so silly. If it had been only Kathy and Levi, no problem. She would’ve had a chuckle along with them. For a second she wondered if she could back out of the barn without anyone the wiser. The thought had barely flitted through her brain when Lucas saw her.

That smile of his. Heaven help her, it was really something. She smiled back, felt the heat in her face and knew there wasn’t a thing she could do about the blush.

“That was fast,” Lucas said, mercifully uncrossing his arms and relaxing them at his side.

Kathy and Levi turned to her, as well. The instant the older woman saw her, she tilted her head, her sympathetic expression confirming Melanie’s fear. Her stupid cheeks were flaming. She wasn’t even a redhead but a mousy brunette. It wasn’t fair.

“If I had known you had entertainment, I wouldn’t have rushed,” she said breezily.

“I put the invoice from the hardware store on the desk,” Kathy said, and Levi added, “Jorgensen mentioned he could wait until next month to be paid if need be.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” She looked at Lucas and wondered again about his white shirt. Had she somehow soiled it? “I’m ready whenever you are.”

“I was going to help Levi finish unloading his truck. Unless you’re in a hurry....”

She lifted her gaze from his chest and met his eyes. “What happened to your other shirt?”

“He didn’t know I was gonna put him to work,” Levi said, grinning. “This young buck stored feed in half the time it takes me. What do you do to get arms and shoulders like that?”

“Levi.” Kathy gave her husband a warning glare.

Lucas just smiled but he seemed a bit embarrassed himself. “You want help unloading that truck, or what?”

“Not if you’ve got business with Mel.” Levi clapped him on the back. “Go on. I’ll take care of it.”

“Am I going to hold you up?” Lucas asked her. “You got a husband and kids waiting at home for their supper?”

“Me?” She let out a laugh. “No.”

Curiosity flickered in his eyes. “It won’t take long to finish unloading. Maybe fifteen minutes.”

“I know Levi would appreciate the help.” She glanced at the truck. It would take more like half an hour, though she didn’t care. “I’ve got things to do in the office.”

Lucas pulled a pair of Safe Haven work gloves out of his back pocket and left to catch up with Levi.

Kathy moved closer and bumped Melanie’s shoulder. “Now, that’s a fine-looking man. He’s not married, either.”

“How do you know?”

“I asked.”

Melanie laughed. “You didn’t.”

“Of course I did,” she said, and they both watched Lucas swing onto the truck bed with ease and grace. “I knew you wouldn’t, so I figured I’d step in and make sure he was up for grabs.”

“For who? You?”

“If I were thirty years younger and single, you bet.” Kathy nudged her again. “He’s real polite, too. Offered to help Levi without being asked.”

“Well, good for him.”

“Don’t use that tone with me, missy.”

They’d both continued to stare at him. Melanie finally turned to Kathy. “I swear, if you tell me I’m not getting any younger, I’ll...” She just sighed. How pathetic. After hearing her mother say it a thousand times, Melanie should really have had a witty retort.

Kathy gave her a quick hug. “I expect you get that enough. Promise me one thing, though. If he asks you to dinner, you go.”

She groaned. “Where is this coming from? He’s here on business. I only just met him myself, and anyway, he isn’t interested in me.” Melanie frowned at the self-satisfied gleam in the other woman’s eye and gave her a long look. “Should I be worried about you putting in too many hours?”

Kathy snorted. “I raised three boys. Good luck trying to shake me off. Think I didn’t hear him work in whether or not you were married? He’s interested.”

“You said it yourself—he’s polite. He doesn’t want to hold me up, that’s all. But you think what you want.” Melanie turned toward the office. “Just don’t embarrass me.”

“Oh, honey, you know I wouldn’t do that.”

“No, you’re right.” Something had been bothering Melanie. She’d tried to let it go, but it still nagged at her. At least she could count on an honest answer from Kathy. “Would you consider me old-fashioned?”

Her friend’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Not in the least. Why on earth would you ask such a thing?”

“One of my students said something....”

“Oh.” Kathy flapped a hand. “Kids always think their teachers are older than dirt. Levi was barely forty when the Weaver boy asked if he was getting ready to retire. Course, Tim’s not a boy anymore. He’s got two young ones of his own. Back then he was a junior and Levi was his history teacher. My poor husband hadn’t even sprouted his first gray hair yet, and goodness but he came home in a foul mood that day.”

Melanie smiled. Levi had been her teacher, as well, and she knew Tim Weaver, despite his being four grades ahead of her. And here he already had two kids. She wasn’t anxious to get married or start a family, but sometimes it bothered her that there were no prospective men in sight. The guys she’d dated in college had been fun at the time. Though living in a dorm two hundred miles from Blackfoot Falls had had a lot to do with the fun factor. Here she couldn’t sneeze without someone handing her a tissue.

“I guess I should get to work on those invoices,” she said. “You and Levi don’t stay too late, huh? Nina and her boyfriend offered to pull the night shift.”

Kathy looked as if she was dying to say something but only nodded and headed out the back. Melanie turned and started to walk toward the office. She had a good idea what was on the woman’s mind. Kathy didn’t like Nina’s boyfriend. He’d been a drifter who’d hired on at the Circle K. Sure, he was young and cocky, but he was fond of animals—otherwise Melanie wouldn’t allow him to volunteer.

That was the trouble with living in a small town. Everyone had an opinion about everything that went on. Her being a teacher and the minister’s daughter—it was a triple whammy.

Since coming home, she’d gone out with a rancher from the next county who had an unfortunate fondness for chewing tobacco, then a slightly older widower who hadn’t gotten over his deceased wife. A cowboy she’d met at a rodeo in Billings had lasted a few weeks. But they hadn’t clicked well enough to make a long-distance relationship work. Her mother hinted that Melanie was too picky. That was partly true. She’d never settle for the sake of a gold band on her finger. But it was also laughable since she doubted her parents would approve of half the men she found appealing.

She wondered what they’d think of someone like Lucas. He obviously had a generous heart. She assumed he was a volunteer for Prison Reform Now. But even if he held a paid position, a man doing that job wasn’t looking to get rich.

Hefting a bag of feed off the flatbed, he flashed her a smile.

A soft gasp escaped her. Without realizing, she’d actually stopped and was staring again. Nearly tripping over herself, she hurried to the office. Once inside, she planted her butt in the chair behind the desk and waited for her heart rate to slow down.

Seconds later she got up and slanted the blinds, but the window was in the wrong position. She couldn’t see much of him. Probably just as well. She had a lot of work to tackle, and though Lucas was nice eye candy, he’d be gone in an hour or so. And Blackfoot Falls would be the same boring town that she’d woken up to this morning.

* * *

LUCAS WOULD’VE PREFERRED to shower before meeting with the pretty schoolteacher. Though she, of all people, understood why he might be a little ripe. Damn, he was glad he’d helped Levi. The guy had a weak back and bad arthritis. No way should he be doing that kind of manual work. But as Levi had confided, if not him, Kathy and Melanie would have done the unloading, which happened often enough. And they were both small women.

He paused at the office door and knocked, even though Levi had told him to just walk in. Melanie called that it was open, just as she’d done earlier, and why that made him smile he had no idea. Maybe it was the trace of impatience in her voice. She seemed the type who’d be appalled that she’d let it show.

Melanie got up as he entered, and she moved a box that was sitting on the spare chair. Then she went to the small fridge. Oddly, he felt his body tighten. Just because he knew she had to bend over? That was pretty damn sad.

“Water or cola?” she asked.

“Water.” He ordered himself not to look and did anyway. Different jeans than before. These were a bit snugger. A-plus for the teacher. “Thanks.”

She’d brought out a bottle for herself, too, and hid behind the old desk again. “You’re the one who deserves my thanks. Levi is terrific, never complains. He does most of the heavy lifting, even when he shouldn’t.”

“Yeah, he told me about the arthritis.”

“Did he?” She seemed surprised. “Normally, he doesn’t like to talk about it.”

“How many volunteers do you have?”

“Seven who come rain or shine, including Shea and myself, Kathy and Levi. Another four we can usually count on to show up twice a week or if we’re in a tight spot. A few more pitch in but not with any regularity.”

“Mostly women, I take it?”

Melanie nodded. “Now, if we have an emergency or the weather is bad, the McAllister brothers are here in a heartbeat. They own a big ranch to the south of town and have their hands full but they’ve never let us down. Shea moved here because of Jesse, the middle brother, who’s also a pilot. He’s flown air rescue for so many animals that wouldn’t have made it if not for him.”

“Safe Haven owns a plane?”

“No,” she said, drawing out the word with a laugh. “Until this spring the coffers were so empty it’s a miracle this place held together. We went nonprofit and were lucky enough to get some serious funding.” A small impish smile lifted her lips. “It doesn’t hurt that the former director just married a man with a sizable charitable foundation.”

“Ah.” Lucas had no trouble smiling back. She was different from the women he usually dealt with inside the organization.

Like Melanie, they were volunteers. They were also members of Denver’s elite. They had money, influence, time on their hands and, most of them, a legitimate interest in prison reform. No question the wheels would move a lot slower without their support. But their generosity had clear limitations. They gladly opened their checkbooks, made phone calls to people who mattered, talked up the cause at their fancy cocktail parties, but their hands always managed to stay clean.

Melanie swept the hair away from her face and blinked at him. “I guess we should get to the reason you’re here.”

“I assume you know the basics. I emailed some material about our group and what we’re trying to accomplish.”

“Yes,” she said, nodding thoughtfully. “If I understand correctly, the program is a collaborative effort between the state and the prison system. A portion of the wild horses gathered by the government each year are sent to the prison farms, and the inmates train the animals, which are then auctioned off, with the money that’s raised going back to the prison.”

“In a nutshell, yes.”

“The program is self-supporting and appears to be very successful.” She paused. “I did glance at the material you sent, but I’m not as prepared as I should be and for that I apologize. But why would a private group like PRN be involved?”

“Various state laws and budgets dictate who gets what. We’d like to see the program spread around.” Lucas liked that she was interested and didn’t hesitate to ask questions. Hell, he liked her. “Tell you what...apology accepted.” He held back a smile at her raised brows. “But only if you have dinner with me.”

3

“DINNER?” SHE JUST LAUGHED. “You do realize that most people in your position—i.e., you wanting something from us—would say, ‘No apology necessary. I appreciate your time.’”

“Okay.” A smile tugged at his mouth. “Should I try again? I can do that. Trouble is, I’m starving. Haven’t eaten since I left Wyoming this morning. I don’t think well on an empty stomach.”

“I see.” A nervous tingling sensation started low in her belly. It was his eyes. The way he was looking at her... Was he flirting? She couldn’t think with him watching her like that. “Well, you did help Levi, so I guess I should feed you.”

His expression shifted, as if he’d mentally taken a giant step back. “Unless you have plans, I figured we can talk and eat at the same time.” He shrugged. “Or not. I can wait.”

She felt her composure falter. Had she just scared him with a wrong signal? He was merely being practical, and she was being an idiot. Dinner made sense. It didn’t mean he wanted her company. “There’s a diner in town.”

“Is the food good?”

“Fortunately, yes, since that’s the only option. Well, the Food Mart has a deli counter, some ready-made items. They even have a few tables and chairs if you want to eat there.” Oh, that was a stupid suggestion. It would be crowded with people she knew—most of them nosy.

“I like the deli idea.”

“Be warned, it’s not a real deli. Not like you’d find in Denver.”

Lucas smiled. “I grew up in a town similar to Blackfoot Falls.”

“How big?”

“Maybe three thousand people in the entire county.”

“Same here. A few people live in town, but mostly ranching families and hired hands make up the population. They’re spread out for miles.”

“Yep. I understand.”

“So you know what that means....”

He gave the matter a moment’s thought and then sighed. “Everyone who walks into the Food Mart will want to know who I am and what we’re talking about.”

“Some might even pull up a chair.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed his jaw. “We’re not gonna do that.”

“No. Bad idea.”

“What about picking up food and eating outside? I bet you know a few good picnic spots.”

“Um, a picnic?” That didn’t sound at all businesslike. She grabbed her water and took a hearty sip.

“Okay. I see that was a miss. Guess it’s the diner.”

“No, no, it’s not a...” She sighed. “You know what.... A picnic sounds great, no interruptions,” she said, trying to recall what food she still had stashed in the old cabin. “We might not have to pick up anything from town.” She stood. “Take a walk with me.”

He quickly got to his feet and opened the door for her. “Where are we going?”

“Just over there,” she said, stepping outside and gesturing to the tiny hovel of a cabin. “The former director used to live there.”

Lucas frowned. “I’d be claustrophobic.”

“It has a loft that was used for a bedroom. But you’re right—I couldn’t have done it. Plus, it doubled as an office. That would’ve been okay, but not living there, too.” She nodded at the large cabin to the right of the gravel path. “The new place has three bedrooms and two baths. The electrician still has to come out, but it’s very nice. Now we just need a director.”

“Any bites?”

“Kathy and Levi were the front-runners. But their children moved south with their families. Kathy misses them. She and Levi will be making a move themselves eventually. And frankly, with Levi’s recent health problems, this place would be too much.”

“What about you?”

The question surprised her. She turned to look at him. He was awfully close. Close enough for her to see his pupils dilate. She took a quick breath. “Believe it or not, teaching keeps me quite busy.”

“It’s kind of a shame.... You seem like a good fit. But then, you’re also the kind of teacher these kids need.”

Melanie stopped outside the door of the old cabin and gave him a quizzical look. He didn’t know her....

“Your students explained how you got them involved here. Told me about the alternative agricultural methods you guys are exploring. Growing your own alfalfa to make Safe Haven more self-sustaining? Really impressive. So is getting them school credit to volunteer.”