The Daddy Search

“That’s kind of odd.”

“What’s odd?” Had she missed something? It was as if he had changed topics on her while she wasn’t listening.

“You said your sister was here a little over six years ago, loved her stay, spoke of it in glowing terms, which prompted you to take your vacation here.”

“Yes . . . what’s so odd about that?”

“I was just wondering why you waited six years.”

His words caught her totally off guard. It hadn’t occurred to her to develop a cover story, at least not anything other than what she had already given him. She frantically searched her mind for an acceptable response to his question.

“Well...uh...you know. It was just one of those things. First there was the money, then something came up and... well, you know how that goes.”

“Sure, things happen.” He ran his fingertips across the back of her hand and offered his best smile. “I’m glad you were finally able to work it out.”

She eased her hand out from under his as she tried to still the tremor of excitement caused by his touch. Even after she had pulled her hand free, she could still feel the warmth of his skin against hers. His smile and his words may have said he accepted her answer, but she could see it in his eyes . . . the questions, the skepticism, the reserve that said he didn’t believe her. She scanned the lobby in an attempt to find something that would let her gracefully extract herself from the conversation.

When she couldn’t find anything, she returned her attention to Nick and gave him a pleasant smile. “I’m sure you have a lot to do so I won’t take up any more of your time.” She turned and left the lobby through the front door, forcing herself to proceed casually even though she could feel his eyes on her... and the tingle of excitement it caused.

Nick leaned back against the wall as he watched her walk away, his heart pounding and his pulse throbbing in time with each step she took. His gaze traced every line and curve of her body. When she finally disappeared through the front door, he closed his eyes and emitted a soft moan that came out as half desire and half frustration.

He took a calming breath, then decided to look into the matter of Lexi’s sister. For some reason, it seemed important to her that he remember Mamie Adams and her stay at the ranch. Rather than go to his office, he made a side trip to the storage room. Six years ago—he searched for the corresponding storage boxes. Time was forgotten as he immersed himself in the task.

“Aha!” The sound of his own voice echoing through the quiet startled him. There it was—Marnie Adams.

He opened the file and quickly scanned the contents, then went back and carefully reread everything. A slight furrow wrinkled his brow as he checked her original reservation and her registration card. She had vacationed alone, too. First Mamie, then her sister, vacationing alone at a dude ranch. Very curious . . . very curious indeed. He checked Mamie’s activity sheet. Unlike Lexi, Mamie had not been involved in any strenuous pastimes. In fact, the records indicated she had not been on a horse during her entire stay.

He went to the candid publicity pictures they’d shot during that month and carefully checked the names of those who had been captured on film. He found her name and pulled the photo, one taken at a chuck-wagon barbecue.

The image shot off the paper at him. Marnie Adams bore a striking family resemblance to Lexi, making it clear that the two women were related. He studied the photograph for a few seconds. Where Lexi’s look was softly sensual and very enticing, Marnie had a hard edge to her appearance as if she had seen too much of the world and found it a great disappointment.

Seeing the photograph jarred his memory. Marnie Adams . . . she had told him more about herself than he ever wanted to know. Even though she had only been in her mid-twenties at the time, she had talked about having two ex-husbands and a string of casual affairs. It was almost as if she had been bragging about those things, thinking it somehow made her seem worldly and sophisticated, the truth being quite the opposite. Even though Marnie was an undeniably beautiful woman, she had not struck a responsive chord with him.

Mamie had presented herself at his cabin door late one night with a bottle of wine in her hand. A moment later, she revealed that she had nothing on beneath her robe. He tactfully, but firmly, refused her offer and sent her on her way. The blatant invitation had been tempting, but she was obviously drunk. Other men might have considered that type of situation as easy pickings, but that certainly wasn’t his style.

The next morning, she acted as if the incident had never happened. He acknowledged that due to her inebriated condition she might not have even remembered what she’d done. When he made love with a woman, he wanted it to damn well be something they would both enjoy and remember the next morning.

That had been a little over six years ago. So, what was Mamie’s sister doing at the ranch now and why did he feel that something was wrong? Was it just his imagination or was there more to it than that? There was no question that he felt a very strong physical attraction to Lexi, an attraction he fully intended to pursue. It was something that most certainly had not existed with Mamie.

He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed a smile to curl the corners of his mouth as he entertained a totally inappropriate thought. Well, maybe not inappropriate, but probably unlikely. He visualized Lexi Parker presenting herself at his door, carrying a bottle of wine and wearing nothing but a—

“There you are!” Danny Clayton’s irritation interrupted Nick’s errant musings.

Nick whirled around to face the six-foot-tall man with the sandy-colored hair. “And where should I be?” He arched one eyebrow and leveled a serious gaze at his brother as much in an attempt to cover his embarrassment at being caught daydreaming as anything else.

Danny glanced at his watch. “In five minutes you’re supposed to be at the corral—” he grinned and slipped into an exaggerated slow drawl while doing his best John Wayne impersonation “—to saddle ‘em up, pilgrim, and move ’em on out for the afternoon ride.” He stepped into the storeroom and looked around. “So, what are you doing in here?”

Nick attempted to sound casual as if nothing out of the ordinary had been going on. “I was checking on a guest who stayed here a few years ago. Her sister arrived this morning and mentioned it.” He handed the photograph to Danny and indicated Mamie. “Do you remember her?”

Danny took the photograph from Nick and studied it for a moment. “Oh, yeah. I remember this one all right. She was one hot little number.”

Nick stared at his brother, not sure exactly how to interpret what Danny said. “Oh? Do I take that to mean that you—”

“No, not me. I just meant that she seemed to be really hot for cowboys and was determined to get it on with as many as possible. I made it a point to stay clear of her.” A wicked little grin tugged at his lips. “She seemed to be more interested in quantity than quality.”

Nick returned the photograph to the file, stuck the file folder into the storage box and shoved it aside with the toe of his boot.

Danny shot Nick a knowing look. “Well, well, well . . . the sister who’s the newly arrived guest wouldn’t be that tasty-looking blonde you’ve been drooling over ever since the shuttle van arrived from the airport, would it?”

Nick hid behind a stern expression. “Knock it off, Danny. I haven’t been drooling over anyone.” He attempted to project a businesslike manner. “Lexi simply mentioned that her sister had vacationed here a few years ago and asked if I remembered meeting her. I was just looking through the old records to see if I could find a photograph to jog my memory. It’s no big deal.”

“Oh, I see.” Danny could no longer suppress a mischievous grin. “Then I can assume you have no personal interest in Ms. Lexi Parker? That you don’t have any objections to my making a play for her?”

Nick balled up his fist, gave his brother a loving punch to the shoulder, then broke out into a teasing smile. “You do and you die!”

Danny returned the feeling of closeness between the brothers. “That’s what I thought.”

Lexi forced a smile and tried to assume an upbeat manner as she stepped into the dining room. She turned to the attractive gray-haired woman seated at the front desk.

“Lexi Parker . . . one for dinner.”

The older woman extended her hand toward Lexi and offered a gracious smile. “I’m Gloria Clayton. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lexi.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, Gloria.”

“On behalf of my two sons and myself, I’d like to thank you for choosing to spend your vacation with us. The weather forecast says blue skies and sunshine for the next few days, so there won’t be anything standing in the way of your having a great time.”

Lexi could see the family resemblance between Nick and his mother. She was a charming woman who exuded warmth and sincerity. Lexi instantly liked her. “I’m sure I will. The scenery here is truly spectacular, and coming from a large city, I can assure you that I’m really enjoying all this clean mountain air.”

Gloria smiled. “It’s good for flagging appetites, too. Now, about the meals. They’re all served family style. That gives the guests an additional opportunity to get to know each other. So if you’ll just follow me, I’ll show you to your table.”

Gloria wheeled out from behind the desk and headed across the room. Lexi had not realized until that moment that Gloria was in a wheelchair.

Gloria showed her to a round table set with ten places. Not more than five minutes passed before nine of the ten places at her table were filled. She glanced around the dining room, noting that it was quickly filling with ranch guests. A festive mood prevailed with everyone enjoying themselves. She spotted Gloria seated at another table and a man she assumed to be Danny Clayton at yet another. A minute later, someone sat down in the chair next to hers. She turned toward the new arrival and found herself staring into Nick Clayton’s blue eyes.

“Good evening, Lexi. I hope you’re hungry. I just took a quick tour through the kitchen and everything looks good.”

She forced a smile. “Yes, it certainly smells good.” Nick Clayton . . . was there no way to avoid constant contact with him? It seemed that every time she left her cabin she ran into him. Her purpose in being at the ranch had been to confront him. Except now she wished she could stay away from his very disconcerting presence. He made her feel uncomfortable, arousing totally inappropriate longings and desires. She wasn’t sure which disturbed her more—how he made her feel or the implication of those feelings.

To her surprise, dinner turned out to be a much more pleasant interlude than she had anticipated. She was very conscious about her choice of words and tone of voice. She would occasionally slip and her conversation with Nick would border on adversarial, but only for a moment. She quickly brought it back to neutral. She reluctantly had to admit that he was a gracious host for the table. He managed to engage everyone in conversation and made sure all the guests were put at ease and felt a part of the group. She was surprised to find that he was very intelligent and conversant on a wide variety of topics. There was a lot more to this cowboy than a set of broad shoulders, a killer smile and brilliant blue eyes.

Lexi found it very unsettling. She had almost convinced herself that she would be able to ignore her unexpected yet very real attraction to him—almost. She still had not been able to set aside the threat of emotional upheaval every time he came near her. And now that she had seen that he was something other than just another libidodriven and self-absorbed handsome hunk, she did not know what to think.

A moment later, he jolted her once again.

Three

“I went back through the old files this afternoon and found a photograph of your sister taken at one of the barbecues. As soon as I saw her picture, it jogged my memory.” Nick saw a hint of something that looked like vindication dart through Lexi’s eyes, but he didn’t understand where it had come from.

“Oh? So you remember her now?”

He caught her tone of voice. There it was again, that feeling of being hit with a challenge of some sort. He certainly had no intention of telling her about her sister’s unseemly behavior. He wasn’t sure what to say. “I can see a definite family resemblance between you and your sister.”

Nick had not offered any further comment about Marnie and Lexi decided not to ask. For the time being, it was enough of a victory that he admitted knowing her. The rest would come later. She would take it one step at a time.

Most of the other people at Lexi’s table had left following dessert. Some had mentioned dropping by next door to the Hoedown Saloon for some dancing, while others had said they were going to take a walk to exercise off dinner.

Nick leaned over to her as he draped his arm across the back of her chair. He dropped his voice to a soft near whisper that sent little ripples of titillation across her skin. “Could I entice you to join me at the saloon for a dance, or maybe an after-dinner drink?”

“I . . . I think I’ll just take a walk to settle some of this delicious dinner. I overindulged and feel the need of a little exercise and fresh air. I’m also rather tired. It’s been a long day. I think I’ll just turn in after my walk.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea. I’ll show you around the grounds. It’s a beautiful night and the sky is filled with millions of brilliant stars—a perfect time for a stroll.” He rose from his chair and held out his hand to assist her, proceeding as if she had agreed to his offer without giving her a chance to say no.

Lexi hesitated, torn between what she knew she should do and what she wanted to do. Then, as if he had usurped her will, she placed her hand in his. The moment they came into physical contact, a potent charge of heated desire, closely followed by an emotional tug, invaded her consciousness. She knew at once it had been a terrible mistake, but it was too late. Once again, the magnetic draw of his masculinity reeled in her senses like a fish caught on a line and she seemed helpless to prevent it.

He escorted her outside, gently guiding her with a hand at the small of her back. They strolled along a path through a stand of fir trees, then around the edge of a large reflecting pond. The brilliance of the star-filled sky, the crisp smell of the night air and the intoxicating nearness of Nick Clayton all combined to work their magic on her. The conversation was equally soft and intimate.

“Tell me about yourself, about your family. I know you have a sister. Do you have any brothers?”

She tried to give him as little information as possible without arousing his suspicions. “No brothers, just my sister and me. My father died ten years ago and my mother lives in Chicago, as I do.”

“Are you originally from Chicago?”

“Yep . . . born and raised. I went away to college but returned after graduation and have worked there ever since.”

“What do you do for a living?”

A feeling of discomfort stabbed at her. This was all wrong. She was supposed to be finding out about him, not the other way around. He had moved her along so smoothly that she had barely been aware of what was happening. She tried to force a laugh, as if making a joke. “You’re making me feel as if I were some sort of specimen to be studied under a microscope.”

A hint of an embarrassed chuckle escaped his throat. “I didn’t mean to sound like I was cross-examining you on the witness stand.” He grasped her hand, then stopped walking, bringing her to an abrupt halt. “I’m genuinely interested.” He searched the depths of her hazel eyes. “We can talk about something else if you’d rather. What topics interest you?”

“Well—” her mind worked quickly as Lexi tried to figure a way to turn this to her advantage “—it seems to me that turnabout is fair play. So, tell me about yourself. Have you always lived here?”

“Yep . . . this ranch belonged to my grandfather, then my father. When my father died, it passed on to my mother, my brother and me. It’s always been a cattle ranch, but we made some changes a few years ago and turned it into a dude ranch. We still run a small cattle operation, but being a dude ranch is our main business now.”

“There’s just the three of you—Gloria, Danny and yourself?”

“That’s right.” A little grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and his eyes sparkled. “Now, what else would you like to know? I’m thirty years old, Danny is twenty-eight. I stand six-one without my boots. I have a degree in business administration from the University of Washington and Danny has one in liberal arts from Colorado State. I don’t think I have a favorite color. As far as food goes, I’ll eat just about anything. I enjoy fine wine, but on a hot, dusty day, a cold beer tastes real good. I read a lot and like movies—mysteries are my favorite. My musical tastes are fairly broad with a particular fondness for jazz.”

“Oh, my . . . I’m . . . uh . . .” He had left her speechless with his sudden burst of personal information.

It had all come out so suddenly . . . and so honestly. Everything about him seemed so straightforward, something she found confusing. Nothing about him seemed to coincide with the type of men Marnie usually chose. Lexi’s casual conversation with Nick Clayton had done nothing to help clarify what had happened between him and her sister . . . if anything had actually happened.

She cleared her throat in an attempt to drive away her doubts. “I guess it’s my turn to be embarrassed. I certainly didn’t mean—”

He touched his fingertips to her lips to still her words. “That’s okay. No harm done.”

He continued to clasp her hand as they started walking again. She felt as if she were walking through a dream... with the man of her dreams. It was exciting and at the same time frightening. The warmth of his touch began to melt away her resistance. She hadn’t anticipated this type of personal involvement, and the emotional overtones were particularly unsettling. She didn’t welcome it, but neither did she seem able to turn her back and walk away. They finally arrived at her cabin.

Millions of stars sparkled like diamonds on a black velvet background, each point of light casting a spell on the moment. Nick didn’t know if it was simply the magic of the night or the exhilaration caused by the nearness of a beautiful and desirable woman, but he felt himself being drawn in by more than a physical attraction and a longing to make love to her. He also wanted to know her, to discover who she was under that unpredictable exterior. At times, she seemed everything a man could ever want, then suddenly she’d become distant as if she had just remembered who she was or why she was there.

“Well, here we are. Your home sweet home for the next three weeks.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s still early. Could I tempt you with a glass of wine before calling it a night?”

“I don’t think so.” She felt as if all the oxygen had suddenly been sucked from the air. His face was so close to hers, the faint illumination highlighting his handsome features. She tried to project a casual manner as if this were nothing more than a normal end to a normal day. “I have a sunrise breakfast ride in the morning and sunrise comes very early.”

“So it does.” His words were more like a caress against her cheek than simply conversation.

Her throat went dry. She literally forced out her words. “And I need to get some sleep if I’m going to—”

The rest of her words were lost along with her thoughts when Nick Clayton brushed his lips against hers, then drew her into his embrace as he, captured her mouth fully with a delicious and sensually heated kiss. And like a moth drawn to a flame, she could not resist regardless of the risk involved.

Her mind went blank, devoid of everything except the feel of his lips against hers, the way he had pulled her body tight against his, and the overwhelming need to have much more of this dangerous man than merely a kiss. She raised her arms until they encircled his neck.

Random thoughts tried to penetrate the sensual cloud fogging her brain. This man ruined her sister’s life . . . this bounder wouldn’t treat her any better than he had Marnie... this man was a forbidden treat glistening on the horizon, tempting, beckoning... this man was no good for her. But still she savored the excitement of his touch, the delicious truth of his kiss as he pulled her body tighter against his.

He reveled in her intoxicating taste and the feel of her body pressed along the length of his. She had the power to drive him to total distraction and she didn’t even seem to be aware of it. He knew he would not be satisfied until he intimately knew every inch of her. And if the burning need surging through his body was any indication, he would still want more. He finally broke off the kiss.

His voice came out as a husky whisper. “I have an excellent bottle of wine in my cabin and a private hot tub on my enclosed patio. Could I entice you to join me?”

His words sent a tremor of nervousness through her body. He had no idea how easy it would be to entice her. In fact, it took every bit of the determination she could muster just to keep from dragging him inside her cabin, shoving him down on her bed and ripping off his clothes. What was the matter with her? She’d never felt this way about any other man, and this was the wrong man to—She gulped in a steadying breath, then another, before she attempted to speak. She knew she needed to sound totally n control.

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