Meet Me In Texas

Del looked at her, surprised at her description. It so closely matched his own thoughts about the magnificent woodworking of the arts and crafts movement.

Her fingers continued moving over the piece. “The wood even warms to the touch like flesh. I can almost visualize the craftsman working on this piece. Cutting, sanding, painstakingly laboring to bring it to its full promise and glory, cherishing each stroke.” She looked at Del. “Almost like making love to a woman.”

Del prided himself on being able to handle almost any situation that came along, but he hadn’t expected to hear her speak so plainly. Poetically, but plainly. It reminded him again that he was dealing with a woman, not the young girl he remembered. “You must be cold,” he said. “Why don’t you go over to the fire?”

“Good idea.” She crossed the room and stood before the fireplace, extending her hands to warm them. A few seconds later she straightened, slipped her hands, palms out, into the back pocket of her jeans and turned to him. “Much better,” she said, arching her back in a brief stretch.

Del’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. If he’d needed a reminder about her status as a woman, this was it.

He’d found her attractive last night, with that stunning smile and nice legs, but her smock prevented him from checking out the rest of her. Well, he was getting a good look now. Allison Russell might have been all arms and legs and barely out of her tomboy stage the first time they met, but standing there before the fireplace, she was unquestionably all woman. Her thick brown hair flowed over her shoulders. Tight, well-worn jeans hugged her slender hips and long legs, but it was her sweater that got his attention. More specifically, the curves beneath it. Allison Russell was sexy, gorgeous and mature. Oh yeah, mature. That was it. And in all the right places.

“Are you hungry?”

“What?” Del knew he’d been caught staring. This wouldn’t do. It wouldn’t do at all. She was too young and he was old enough to know better.

“I said, are you hungry? Lynn’s cinnamon rolls are not to be missed, and I make an above-average cup of coffee, if I do say so myself.”

“Uh, yeah. Sounds good.”

She walked over to the bag and pulled out the thermos and two mugs and set them on the hearth. Then she lifted out a rectangular canvas bag, set it beside the mugs and opened it to reveal a disposable foil pan containing a half-dozen fresh-baked sweet rolls. “Better get ’em while they’re warm,” she said, putting two on a paper plate and handing him a plastic fork.

He crossed the room and took the plate. “Thanks. Aren’t you going to join me?”

“I’ve had my breakfast already, so they’re all yours.”

She ran a hand through her hair again and the firelight flickered across the glossy curls, even in the morning light. Del wished she wouldn’t do that. His reaction was immediate and totally male. But could he help it if she looked like a wild gypsy about to dance before an open fire? The fact she was a woman now—and a damned gorgeous one—hit Dell once again. Seeing her like this, he felt the difference in their ages more than ever and decided it was a good thing. That and the fact that she was Sam and Lynn Russell’s daughter would help him remember she was off limits.

“I can’t get over how much you’ve changed,” he said without thinking.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. You don’t mind if I sit on your bed, do you?”

“Uh, no. Go right ahead. I’m sorry I can’t offer you a sofa or a chair.”

She tilted her head ever so slightly and gave him a melting smile. “Thanks. This is just fine.”

Damn, but she had a great smile. Sort of sweet and sexy at the same time. He wondered if all the young guys in the Hill Country had gone blind. What else could account for the fact that she was still running around unattached and so tempting. So very tempting… Del stopped himself. He was doing it again. Thinking like a guy on the make. He stabbed the plastic fork into the cinnamon roll and took a bite. “Delicious.”

“I’ll pass on your compliments to the chef. By the way,” she said, “last night you mentioned a new business. Do you mind if I ask what kind?”

He hesitated for a second, knowing he had to announce his plans sometime. “Building supplies.”

“You mean like a lumberyard?”

“Sort of. Actually, I bought the old lumberyard at the north end of town, but I’m going to turn it into a green business and market recycled and environmentally safe products. Whatever is good for the environment will be for sale at Evergreen.”

“So, you’re committed to saving the planet’s resources. I like that. And I like the name. Nice marketing touch.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“The Hill Country is the perfect place for your business. This part of the state is in a building frenzy.”

“Definitely.”

“When do you expect to open to the public? Or will you just sell to contractors?”

“Evergreen’s doors will be open to all comers,” he said, “and you’re the first person in Crystal Creek that I’ve told.”

“I’m honored, Del. Thank you.”

“It’s been a long time in the planning and it’s going to take months of hard work and long hours before I can open. That’s the main reason I can’t take on the responsibility of a dog right now.”

“Yeah, but admit it. After a day dealing with vendors, construction problems and deadlines, wouldn’t it be nice to come home to a friendly wag and someone glad to see you?”

“I just hope that’s all I have to deal with.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I don’t kid myself that everybody in the business community will welcome me with open arms. Sometimes new ideas are accepted right off the bat, but this is a fairly conservative town.”

“You mean if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?”

“Right. People get used to doing things a certain way and often fight change solely because it is change.”

“Are you expecting opposition?”

“You never know. Integrating environmentally safe building materials and practices into a traditional system means someone would lose money somewhere along the way. It might not sound like much, but if you think of supplying materials for a half-million-dollar-home or a multimillion-dollar housing development, it adds up to a chunk of money. Plus, I know I’ll be considered an outsider who doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing.”

“But you do know, don’t you? You wouldn’t have made such a commitment if you hadn’t known what to expect and what you wanted to accomplish.”

A little surprised at her comment, he said, “Yes, I do. Actually, very few people know it, but I’m the son and grandson of skilled carpenters, and I put myself through college working part-time and weekends for a home-repair company and working construction full-time in the summers. I started out as a grunt and made it to crew chief by the age of twenty.”

“No wonder you liked this house. The woodwork is marvelous.”

“I know, and there are thousands of houses like this that are being neglected, or worse, torn down every day. I’d like to preserve what I can.”

“So this wasn’t just a decision to start a new business. Your interest goes way back.”

“I used to tag along with my father to jobs on weekends. I would listen to him explain the benefits of using recycled flooring or woodwork to clients and be amazed at how wonderful and sensible he made it all sound. And even while I was with the FBI, I kept my hand in over the years, building furniture for myself or helping friends with additions to their homes. I spent more than a couple of vacations working with Habitat For Humanity.” He glanced down at his hands. “Carpentry work became a major stress reliever for me. A kind of safety valve from the pressures of the job.”

“And there must have been a lot of pressures.”

“Not so much in the beginning, but it sure ended that way.”

Gently, she put her hand on his arm. “I can’t begin to imagine the kinds of horrors you’ve witnessed. It’s no wonder you needed something as simple and honest as working with your hands. It must have helped you stay grounded, and keep in touch with what was real. I imagine that at times you had to do it to preserve your sanity.”

Del looked down at her hand on his arm then into her eyes, so soft, so understanding. He’d never thought of the satisfaction and peace of mind he’d achieved by working with his hands in quite those terms, but hearing her put it into words made perfect sense. “Yes,” was all he could say.

Allison wanted to put her arms around him, comfort him, yet at the same time make him feel needed and wanted as only a woman could want a man. Her emotions were all mixed up. She wanted to comfort Del and kiss him at the same time, but not in a comforting way. She wanted to tell him she understood the pain and loneliness she saw in his eyes, and tell him he didn’t ever have to feel lonely again. She wanted all these things, yet knew she shouldn’t want them. In the end she settled for the simple truth.

“Have I told you how glad I am that you decided to come back to Crystal Creek?”

“Yes, but I like hearing you say it.”

“I am glad, very glad. And there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll be successful. Before too long, Evergreen will be the talk of the Hill Country.”

Now Del smiled. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he said, inordinately pleased at her unqualified support.

She smiled back, and for a split second Del thought that kissing Allison seemed the most natural thing in the world to do. Then reality grabbed him by the collar and he realized how close he’d come to doing exactly that. He was much too close to her, the moment much too intimate and too dangerous for a lonely man. He took a step back. “I, uh, hope your confidence is contagious.”

The instant he moved away from her the intimacy was gone, and Allison felt a twinge of sadness. “I think it might be once people understand who you are and what you’re trying to accomplish.”

“Maybe I should hire you as my PR rep to spread the good word.”

“I’ll do that, anyway, with your permission, of course. Since you’ve kept all of this under wraps until now, I wouldn’t want to blow your cover.”

“By tomorrow, everybody will know, anyway, so there’s no harm if you mention it. I just didn’t want to give the town weeks to chew on the information and make false speculations.”

“They’ll do that, anyway, so don’t worry. Besides, I’m proud to announce your presence because I know you’re going to be good for the community.” She paused, and then added, “Just like I know that this dog will be good for you even if it’s short term.”

Del laughed. “That’s about as slick a left turn back to complete a circle as I’ve ever seen. Has anybody told you that you have a one-track mind?”

“Frequently. I can be a bit manipulative, I admit. And I do have a reputation for tenacity, but since it’s always for such very good reasons, people seldom object.”

“And honest to a fault, I see.”

“That, too.” She shrugged. “With me, what you see is definitely what you get.”

Del saw a lot and liked what he saw. Namely, a beautiful woman with an open heart and loving spirit. Why couldn’t she be someone other than Sam and Lynn Russell’s daughter, and ten years older? As for the dog, he supposed that, at least, was something he could handle. “So, I’m to be a foster parent, huh?”

“It’ll be a piece of cake. And just think, you’ll have your own personal veterinary technician on call twenty-four-seven. Free of charge, I might add.”

Del shook his head, knowing he was beaten. “All right.” He held up his hands in surrender. “You win, but just on a temporary basis, okay.”

“And speaking of veterinary services, one of the main reasons I came this morning was to change— Hmm, I think you need a name for this dog.”

He sighed. “I called her Lucky when I first found her.”

“Boy’s name.”

“I know. What about Lady?”

“Bor-ring.” Allison gazed at the dog, then back at Del. “I know, Doodles.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Well, look at her. She looks like someone has taken a gold paint pen and doodled all over her brown fur.”

Now that he saw the dog from this distance, he had to admit Allison’s description was appropriate. But a guy with a girl dog named Doodles?

“Can’t we come up with something a little less cutesy?”