Never Say Never Again Page 8

  Maddie worked through the weekend, and by Sunday evening, she had a long list of tasks.

  After making Pap a good breakfast and seeing to the livestock, Maddie headed into town on Monday morning. Her first stop was Loretta’s. She needed a good cup of coffee and wanted to pick Stan’s brain for recommendations on professionals in the area.

  She wheeled her ’63 next to a familiar Silverado and parked. The tempo of her heart sped up as she anticipated seeing Gideon again. Sitting back against the seat, she wondered if Gideon spent all his time at Loretta’s or if he actually had work to do at Snowy Branch.

  The Branch boys had always been a force to be reckoned with. Zack, football god, unavailable except for cheerleaders and less discriminating ladies. Eli, more down to earth, big, wide, a mountain of a man, likes-everybody-he-meets smile. And she did mean everybody, especially of the female persuasion.

  And then there was Gideon. Older—strong and silent—reeking responsibility even at a young age. The cornerstone of the family. Watching over his brothers. A protector. A leader. Maddie didn’t really know much about him personally except that he hated to see a lady disrespected and had the courage to set matters straight.

  And…that he made her girly parts tingle for the first time in years. Tall, muscled, altogether yummy. A man easy on the eyes and hard to forget.

  Maddie wiggled on the front seat of her Chevy. Wow. Signs of life from down under. Surprise, surprise. She hadn’t felt that particular sensation in a long, long time. Not since Harrison.

  Oops! She wasn’t going to go there.

  Gideon’s intervention at Loretta’s had been unexpected but appreciated. Another insight into his character—in addition to the protective gene, he was courteous. Maddie admired that he’d come home to take his place in town and restore Snowy Branch. Taken as a whole, Gideon Branch had a lot going for him.

  The mortar holding the protective barrier around her heart was crumbling, one chink at a time. She liked the way he’d stood up for her with Cocky and Horny, the way he was taking charge at Snowy Branch, making a life for himself here after losing his leg in the war, the friendly interaction between him and Pap, Loretta, and Stan. He seemed like a really good guy.

  And there it was. The proverbial elephant in the room: He was a guy.

  She’d sworn off men more than three years ago, and it had served her pretty well until now. Suddenly, Gideon Branch was everywhere. Her place. Her town. Hanging with her friends. Bombarding her mind. An unavoidable distraction, albeit a handsome one. She ought to stay as far away from him as possible—he was dangerous to her carefully constructed walls.

  “Don’t be a coward, Maddie,” she said under her breath. “He’s only a man, like any other. Keep your cool. Play it the way you always have, friendly and distant. Nothing will happen unless you want it to.”

  Slamming the stubborn door of her old truck, she marched to Loretta’s entrance and pushed it open as the little bell announced her arrival. All eyes on her, Maddie ignored her audience and stalked to the bar, threw her leg over one of Loretta’s genuine saddle bar stools, squirmed on the cool leather, and helped herself to a root beer.

  Loretta scooted behind the bar, one eyebrow raised. “Hey, you. Why don’t you help yourself?”

  “Always do, girlfriend. You and Stan have a minute before the lunch rush?”

  “Sure. What’s on your mind?” Loretta immediately knocked on the partition to the left of the bar.

  Maddie glanced at the patrons sitting at scattered tables, Gideon Branch among them.

  “Can we move to the end of the bar? I want to run something by you.”

  “Sure, honey.” Loretta grabbed a bottled water as Stan came to join them, and they sat facing each other at the end of the bar.

  “I’m thinking of starting a summer camping program for kids with physical and mental challenges,” she blurted as she watched Loretta’s eyes widen.

  “I thought I’d left all that behind in Boston, but lately, I’ve felt an urge to do more with my life. Make it count for something again. Truth is, I miss my kids. Miss seeing their eyes light up each time they do something they never thought they could. Miss the giggles and grins, the sense of accomplishment, the expressions on their parents’ faces when they see that little one do something any normal child could do with half the effort. Open their minds to possibilities they never dared consider for their children.”

  Loretta stared at her in wonder. “I never realized. Never understood what you did back east or how important it was. Maddie, it’s a terrific idea. I’ve never seen you like this. It’s like someone lit the Maddie spark. You have to do this—you simply have to.”

  Maddie grinned at her friend and whispered in a voice of awe, “You’re right. We’re off the beaten path, but not too far from major metro areas. I’ve spent the last few days making plans and crunching numbers. There’s a lot to be done. We have to provide a covered arena, an extra barn for more animals, remodel the bunkhouse for kids and counselors. And hire pediatric therapists, plus have an on-staff physician or make arrangements to have Doc make daily visits. And there’s the whole business side of it—insurances, certifications, and such.”

  “You can do this, Maddie. I know you can. This summer is out of the question, or did you think to open this season?” Loretta asked.

  “No…I plan on raising money and starting repairs on the buildings. Taking care of the paperwork, advertising, hiring. I have to get certified in Wyoming… Oh, Loretta, it’s mindboggling.”

  “You can count on Stan and me to help wherever we can. Maybe with the meals—lunch and supper during the week, if you can handle weekends. Or you might consider hiring a cook and housekeeper. Maddie, how much is this going to cost?”

  “That’s the main issue. How much, and where can I get the money?” She bit her lip in consternation.

  “May I tender a suggestion?” Loretta asked after a slight hesitation.

  Maddie grinned. “What, start playing the lottery?”

  “Well, Stan and I have a little put by for a rainy day…”

  “Not on your life.” Maddie adamantly rejected the idea of her friends investing their hard-earned cash.

  “Do you have any collateral?” Stan came up beside his wife, his hand on her shoulder.

  “The ranch, but I don’t want to take a chance on losing it. I know private investors are probably the way I need to go. That, and maybe state and federal grants. It’s going to take some time.”

  “If you need a good word, you can count on us,” Stan offered.

  Loretta nodded. “Something like this would help the entire town. Added clientele for local businesses, a boost to the economy. I’d think a lot of the business owners would be glad to contribute.”

  “You think so?” she asked.

  “I know so,” Stan promised.

  “Loretta, you surely got a good man when Stan Mason finally made his move. What did you do to deserve him? A good heart and killer looks,” she teased as Stan, bless him, blushed red.

  Her friend kissed her husband full on the mouth. The kind of kiss Maddie had always dreamed of with a man she loved.

  “I don’t know,” Loretta answered breathlessly, “but I’m so very glad I did.”

  ****

  Gideon leaned against the wall outside the men’s room.

  He was a lowdown dirty dog for listening to a private conversation, a habit, it seemed, when Maddie was at Loretta’s. But when he’d found himself a few hidden feet from Maddie and heard them talking, his curiosity overshadowed his integrity.

  Amazed at the depth of the woman who had such a strong heart for children burdened by disease and being different, he knew his chest swelled with pride. She’d been hurt but risen from the ashes like a phoenix, turning her pain into a plan to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable of society. If he hadn’t been attracted to her before, he certainly would be now. Beautiful and selfless. Rare in this day and time.

  A western camp for k
ids whose bodies wouldn’t let them move normally and whose minds and emotions challenged everyday life? An extraordinary idea. One that would cost a lot of money and take a lot of time.

  Maybe he could help.

  Gideon had some money saved—he hadn’t needed much while deployed, and hadn’t spent much while going through rehab. About the only expense he’d incurred was the prosthetic boots that allowed him to ride a horse like a two-limbed man and work his ranch without the worry of mucking up the titanium blade prosthesis, which might prevent him from doing the job. He had investments.

  Eli and Zack had indicated they’d made some money while Uncle Sam took care of their needs. But Snowy Branch was going to take everything he and his brothers had. While he’d like to contribute, his first obligation was to his own family.

  Despite his reservations, Pap’s machinations might turn out to be the best of all solutions. Combining their resources, he and Maddie could reapportion the land, sell off what they didn’t need, and have operating capital to restore the ranch and build her camp.

  There was more at stake than a business arrangement. Marriage involved matters of the heart. Complicated matters. He was ready to make the commitment—she, however, appeared to be skeptical. And who could blame her?

  A lot hinged on his convincing Maddie to marry him. She intrigued him. Everything about her—her looks, those eyes that spoke a language all their own, her lush woman’s body that made him dream of long nights, wet kisses, and burying himself in her sweet, hot body. Damn, just thinking about her made him hard. How old was he? Fifteen?

  If he wanted her, he’d have to erase her doubts about men, teach her to trust, convince her he wasn’t the kind of man to toy with her affections. After her experience with Harrison McCall, if another man hurt her, she’d close herself off and never give anyone a chance again.

  He wasn’t going to be that man.

  No—he was going to be the man who loved her for the rest of her life and gave her everything she’d ever wanted in a man. Everything she needed. No better time than the present to start, but he didn’t want to scare her off.

  Right now, what she needed was to feel useful and fulfilled again, to create a place for those kids, and somehow he was going to make it possible.

  Should he interfere or stay out of her business? He could steer things in her direction without her finding out his involvement, maybe put in a good word at the bank. The Branch boys could offer inventory on the hoof as collateral without Maddie being informed. They could offer muscle, workers, extra horses. Hell, she could board the stock at his place and save money on the extra barn. Yeah, the Branch boys could contribute a lot to make her dream come true.

  Zack and Eli would be all over it.

  Of course, the best solution was for her to marry him and move to Snowy Branch. They could build the whole damn camp out on the east pasture or follow her existing plans for the Lowry place.

  There were a lot of questions to be answered. He’d place a call to the guys tonight, lay it all out on the table, get their input.

  Stan busied himself in the kitchen. Gideon could hear the sizzle of meat hitting the hot grill, and his stomach growled. Loretta and Maddie hugged and said their goodbyes. She’d be mad as all get-out if she found out he’d been eavesdropping, but damned if he didn’t need every advantage.

  He was in luck. Maddie moved in his direction, so he stepped into plain view, his hand adjusting the waistband of his jeans as if he’d come from the men’s room. He pretended not to see her and barreled, well, carefully barreled into her.

  Acting surprised, Gideon glanced up, his arms going out to steady her. “Sorry, ma’am… Maddie, nice to see you again. You come to see Loretta and have one of their specials for lunch?”

  Her eyes lingered chest high, and her face flushed an adorable shade of pink as she pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh, hey, nice to see you as well. Just making a quick visit. You?”

  “Lunch. Then to get a few supplies.”

  A stilted silence ensued. Dropping her head, she stared at her feet, seeming flustered at meeting him in the tight space. Gideon stared at her, his lips cranking up as he took in the pulse at her throat beating fast as a little bird’s heartbeat. Ah—the lady wasn’t immune to him, not at all.

  “I see.” She made as if to pass by, and he sidestepped as he blocked her way, close enough to let her scent him, feel the heat of him, but not make her uncomfortable. The color in her face deepened. Good. She didn’t shy away.

  Her chest-high eyes paused, then tracked up until she gazed into his eyes. The soft green irises darkened, widened, pupils dilating. Their beauty stole his breath. The bright green of new-mown grass deepened to the rich emerald of a rare jewel. And there it was again—the rapid beat of her heart visible beneath her rosy skin, so pretty it sent an unmistakable message south of his buckle.

  Unless he’d totally misread the signs, she was interested. Good. Slowly, slowly he smiled, and she slid her eyes just east of his mouth. When she finally met his eyes again, he touched her cheek with the tip of his finger and let it trail slowly down to her jaw. “I should have come home sooner.”

  “Why?” she challenged, in a husky voice he strained to hear.

  “By now we’d have known each other. Be over the awkward stage of our relationship. If we’d met in this narrow hallway, I’d be able to do something like this.”

  Gideon tightened his hold on her jaw and brushed his lips over the corner of her mouth.

  “Or this…” He kissed the opposite corner.

  She didn’t back up, held her ground, but he heard a tiny gasp. Just as he planned, Gideon stood still and let her get the feel of him, his heat, his smell. Her nostrils flared as her breathing became erratic, and the pulse at her throat jumped and sped.

  Not moving an inch, he stayed right where he was, deliberately letting his breath fan her face. Pupils the size of stars gazed back at him, and in their depths he sensed a bit of confusion and tightly controlled passion. Her full, round breasts rose and fell, brushing the buttons of his shirt, and one end of his mouth twitched as Maddie cleared her throat.

  What a woman. If one tiny kiss earned a reaction like this, he could only dream how responsive she would be when he made love to her. And he would—soon—it was only a matter of time. The beautiful, soft, clear skin with a rosy hue put there by the Wyoming sun took on a delicate flush.

  Gideon pushed. “Been meaning to come by your place, Maddie.” His voice was low, breath stirring stray strands of fine hair around her face. “I know you said you were busy, but you and I both know it was an excuse. If you’re free this Saturday, I’d love to take you to dinner. Leave early, maybe head to Laramie and grab a bite at Sorrento’s. They have live music on weekends, and a dance floor. Do you like to dance, pretty Maddie?”

  Her eyes glazed over. “Why are you being so persistent?” she breathed, a tiny frown appearing between her sculpted brows.

  “Well”—he drew out the word—“because I think you’re the most beautiful girl in town, and because I’d like us to get to know each other.”

  “Why?” she asked again, while the crease between her brows deepened.

  “Jesus, Maddie Mae.” He grinned. “How long has it been since a man asked you on a date? Usually, a woman says thanks, she’d love to, and names a time. I’m single, well over twenty-one, have twenty-twenty vision, and when I look at you, I like what I see. Now, may I pick you up at six o’clock this Saturday evening, and take you to Sorrento’s for dinner? A simple yes or no will do.”

  Maddie’s body reacted to the rush his words elicited, and she blinked, her eyes crinkling at the edge, lashes lowering to her cheeks. “Why, Mr. Branch, I’d be delighted to accompany you to dinner this Saturday. How kind of you to ask. You may count me as one of your ‘usual’ conquests for the evening, six o’clock is fine, and thank you—so very, very much.”

  Gideon’s cheek hitched at her quick recovery. “Sass. You’re giving me sas
s. I like it.” His grin widened. Adjusting his Stetson low over his forehead, he shot her a wink.

  “Then it’s a date. I’ll see you on Saturday at six. Oh, and Maddie…” His gaze raked her body head to toe. “Wear something sexy. I’ve been gone for a long time, and I’m hungry to see a good-looking woman dressed in something mouthwatering.”

  Maddie’s mouth dropped open.

  Gideon chuckled, touched two fingers to the brim of his hat with a dip.

  Nodding to Loretta and Stan, Gideon left the building looking entirely too pleased with himself and with a mile-wide grin on his face.

  As for Maddie?

  She walked dreamily from the back of the bar to find Loretta and Stan staring in her direction. The place was too small for them not to have heard.

  “What?” she asked. “It’s just dinner.”

  “Right…” Stan disappeared behind the grill, his head shaking from side to side.

  Loretta smiled indulgently, gave her a hug, and scooted her toward the door. “Sugar, keep telling yourself that. It’ll help with the nerves.”

  Maddie said goodbye and left with a distracted wave. She failed to notice the grins and the small pantomime of applause that followed her. All her thoughts were of a tall cowboy with mesmerizing eyes, mounds of muscle, and a distinctive gait. When he’d leaned close, she’d known he was going to kiss her, and darn her perfidious heart if she wasn’t thrilled he had.

  There was no denying it now—Maddie realized she liked Gideon Branch. His kiss had been—well, perfect. At the same time, her softening toward the male gender in general, and Gideon in particular, couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time.

  With just beginning the planning stages for Emma’s camp, her time would be limited—as well as her attention. She didn’t want to be distracted by a man—no matter how handsome and appealing—when all her energy should be focused on the camp and the kids.

  Easy, Maddie. One night; one dinner. And then Mr. Gideon Branch could concentrate on his plans for Snowy Branch, and she’d be far too busy with Emma’s Camp to see him again anytime soon.