Last Of The Joeville Lovers

Whatever Made Him Think He Could Take Things Slowly Where Taylor Was Concerned? Letter to Reader Title Page About the Author Acknowledgments Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Copyright

Whatever Made Him Think He Could Take Things Slowly Where Taylor Was Concerned?

Now that he knew they could make love, he wanted her.

Tonight. Badly.

He shook his head and muttered under his breath. One kiss and he wanted it all. And it wasn’t simply physical; that was the problem. He cared too much for this woman.

He’d seen it coming and he’d done nothing to stop it. He’d seen the look in her eyes and known she was beginning to care too much.... The evidence was in the generous and giving heart of Taylor that he had seen every time he’d looked deep into her eyes.

He growled in frustration. He couldn’t saddle her with this. No matter how willing she might be to accept him as he was. She deserved more. Much more. And until he could give it to her, he had to bring to a halt feelings that were getting far too out of hand.

It had been nearly impossible to ask her to leave tonight. And he doubted if he could ever muster the courage to do it again....

Dear Reader,

MEN! This month Silhouette Desire goes man-crazy with six of the sexiest, heart-stopping hunks ever to come alive on the pages of a romance novel.

Meet May’s MAN OF THE MONTH, love-wary secret agent Daniel Lawless, in The Passionate G-Man, the first book in Dixie Browning’s fabulous new miniseries, THE LAWLESS HEIRS. Metsy Hingle’s gallant hero protects an independent lady in danger in the last book of the RIGHT BRIDE, WRONG GROOM series, The Bodyguard and the Bridesmaid. Little bitty Joeville, Montana, has more tall, dark and rugged ranchers than any other town west of the Mississippi. And Josh Malone has more sex appeal than all of ’em put together in Last of the Joeville Lovers, the third book in Anne Eames’s MONTANA MALONES series.

In The Notorious Groom, Caroline Cross pairs the baddest boy ever to roam the streets of Kisscount with the town virgin in a steamy marriage of convenience. The hero of Barbara McCauley’s Seduction of the Reluctant Bride is one purebred Texas cowboy fixin’ to do some wife-wranglin’—this new groom isn’t about to miss a sultry second of his very own wedding night Yeehaw! Next, when a suddenly wealthy beauty meets the owner of the ranch next door, he’s wearing nothing but a Stetson and a smile in Carol Grace’s The Heiress Inherits a Cowboy.

Silhouette Desire brings you the kind of irresistible men who make your knees buckle, your stomach flutter, your heart melt...and your fingers turn the page. So enjoy our lineup of spectacular May men!

Regards,

Senior Editor

Silhouette Books

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian. PO. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

Last of the Joeville Lovers

Anne Eames

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ANNE EAMES

This is Anne’s sixth novel for Desire. Her books have appeared on the USA Today bestseller list, and she has been a Golden Heart finalist and Maggie winner.

Anne and her husband, Bill, live in southeastern Michigan.

With special thanks to my pilot buddy, Barry;

to Dana and Christopher Reeve for their inspiration;

and most important, to my favorite cowboy

and love of my life, Bill.

One

“Don’t you dare stop now!” From her position on the floor, Taylor Phillips stared down into the tired cowboy’s eyes and saw beads of sweat streaking down his temples.

“How much longer till you’re satisfied?” Josh asked, pumping yet another time.

“At least a minute...five if you can hold out that long.” He groaned and kept moving, but without much enthusiasm.

“Having problems, Joshua Malone? I thought you told me you were in good shape” She knew she was goading him. She also knew that if she could elicit a little anger, he might find more energy and push his own limit.

Finally, with one last growl, he slumped on the floor beneath her. “Enough.” A dumbbell rolled free from his hand and coasted along the mat.

Taylor’s smile was one of triumph. She checked her watch then stood and extended an arm to Josh. “Not bad. Four minutes longer than yesterday.” Using his good arm, he grabbed hold of her hand and hoisted himself up.

“Where did you learn to be a physical therapist? The University of S and M?” He wiped his forehead on the sleeve of his T-shirt, then massaged his left shoulder.

Taylor laughed at his barb and made notes in his chart, resisting the temptation to write her thoughts: rich kid has to work hard. Poor baby. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him staring at her with that sexy smirk of his, one that he’d probably practiced in front of the mirror and that she’d heard worked on many an unsuspecting female in Bozeman. She wondered if he had a clue how much she enjoyed ignoring his overt moves on her. His shoulder had healed weeks ago. She knew why he kept coming around.

With her head still down she was finishing her notes when the sound of Max’s footsteps crossing the tile floor forced her to look up. His face was grave, a cordless phone pressed to his chest.

Josh ignored the ominous body language and tried to engage his father in playful banter. “Hey, Dad...did you teach Taylor to be this tough?”

His expression unchanged, Max didn’t acknowledge his son’s question. “Josh...you’ll have to excuse us a moment. There’s an urgent call from Ann Arbor.” Max turned back to Taylor. “It’s your father,” he said and handed her the phone.

Taylor stared at it, her pulse quickening. Her father would never call her at the Malone ranch when he knew she would be working in Max’s clinic...especially at this hour of the morning...unless....

She punched a button and spoke into the receiver, trying to steel herself for bad news. “Dad?” The sound of his voice at once confirmed her fears. Something was gravely wrong.

And it had to do with her mother.

Taylor walked around the corner to the office where Max’s daughter-in-law, Savannah, sat cross-legged on the floor. Her young son, Billy, knelt beside her, watching as she changed his baby brother’s diapers. Savannah’s quick smile faded as soon as she saw Taylor’s face.

Taylor dropped into a chair in front of the desk and listened intently to her father. “Who’s her doctor?” she finally asked. When her father answered, she stood and paced to the window behind the desk. “I’ll catch the next flight out. Tell her to hang on, Dad. I’m on my way.” Her knees started to shake and she was thankful when he said goodbye.

She switched off the phone and stared at miles of wildflowers leading to the MoJoe Mountains and the mirrored blue waters below, her thoughts turning inward. She had always known this day might come. And she had always known what she would do if it did.

“Taylor?”

She turned and saw the concern on Savannah’s face.

“What can I do to help?” she asked, as Max and Josh walked through the doorway.

Max stepped forward. “Let me call the airlines and get you a ticket.”

Taylor nodded, still stunned by the news. “I’ll have to go home and pack a few things. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone—”

Max closed the space between them, the pain on his face evident, reminding her that her mother and Max had been friends years ago, that she wasn’t some anonymous critical patient. “We’ll manage here. Put it out of your mind.” He bracketed her shoulders with a gentle touch. “But I don’t think you should drive.”

She started to protest when Josh broke in. “I’ll take you to the airport.”

Savannah adjusted her restless six-month-old on one hip and frowned at her watch. “If I remember correctly, the last time I thought about going back to Detroit, the only flight left before noon. If that’s still true, there won’t be time for you to go home first. I’m not sure if you can even make the flight.”

One way or the other, she would be on that plane. Clothes or no clothes. She tried to remember what still might be hanging in her childhood Ann Arbor home. Then Savannah offered a better solution.

“Between Jenny and me we have plenty of things you could borrow. Why don’t we go work on that while Max checks on the flight.”

Taylor let herself be led out of the office and down the hall to the living quarters, feeling as though she were a sleepwalker in a bad dream. In no time at all, Savannah deposited baby Chris in his playpen, told Billy to keep his little brother company, and then proceeded to pull two bags from the closet.

“I have an extra blow-dryer and curling iron. I’ll pack them and some personal stuff in this carry-on...but I think Jenny’s clothes might be closer to your size.” She handed a hang-up bag to Taylor and turned her toward the door.

“Thank you,” she mumbled and picked up her pace to the kitchen where she knew she would find Jenny preparing lunch. With any luck, possibly Ryder or Shane might be there, too. Savannah’s or Jenny’s husband would make a better traveling companion than Josh. She’d managed to ignore the youngest brother for the few months she’d worked here, except recently when he dislocated his shoulder. Therapy was one thing; spending a couple of hours in a car with him was quite another.

She could always drive herself, she thought as she heard laughter coming from the kitchen. She held out her hands and noticed her trembling fingers and knew that wouldn’t be wise. Finally she let out a pent-up breath and pushed through the swinging door to the lively kitchen. If she had to go with Josh, so be it. Reaching her mother on time was all that mattered.

Hannah, the barrel-shaped housekeeper, and Jenny were laughing at something and they turned in unison when she entered the room, their smiles disappearing when they saw her.

“My mom is very sick and I have to leave for the airport.” She heard the quaver in her voice and bit her bottom lip. She blinked hard, fighting to clear her vision, and eyed Jenny. “Savannah thought you might lend me some clothes—”

Jenny padded from behind the counter, wiping her hands on the apron that stretched across her rounded belly. “Of course.” She hooked Taylor’s arm and headed for the side door. “Come on to the cabin with me. Pick out whatever you want. I won’t be needing any of it for months.”

They started across the gravel drive and cut through the stables, Jenny moving briskly for a woman six months pregnant expecting twins. Since Taylor had accepted this part-time job, she and Jenny hadn’t exactly been bosom buddies, but they weren’t adversaries, either. Taylor suspected her shunning of Joshua had something to do with Jenny’s coolness. But whatever the strain between them, Jenny showed none of it now as she rushed Taylor along.

Neither Ryder or Shane was anywhere in sight, and the horses were all outside in the corral. Sunlight streamed through the open doors, and the smell of fresh-strewn hay rose up to meet her. Outside again, they crossed to the cabin steps and Taylor followed Jenny past the screen door and into the cozy living room beyond, too numb to take in the unfamiliar surroundings. Together they filled the hang-up bag with a couple of simple summer dresses, skirts, knitted tops and jeans.

“Thanks,” Taylor said, zipping closed the bag, eager to be on the road.

When they returned to the main house, Max was staring out the back window of the kitchen and Josh was on the phone. He hung up and said, “There! Got everything covered for the rest of the day.” He faced Taylor and rubbed his hands together. “Ready to go?”

Taylor hid her disappointment the best she could. Even if Josh wasn’t her first choice, he was doing her a favor. “Yes, I think so.”

Savannah held up a pair of shoes in either hand. “Thought you could use these...if they fit.”

Taylor checked the size and nodded, then glanced over at the sad figure in front of the window. Max seemed as dazed as she felt. Savannah found a pocket for the shoes and zipped the bag closed, the sound snapping Max from his reverie.

He walked quickly to Taylor’s side, acting as though he only now realized she had returned. “I got you a seat...out of Bozeman...but you’ll have to hurry.” He lifted his wrist and read the time. “The plane leaves in less than two hours.”

Josh gave him a dismissive wave. “Not to worry, Dad. I’ll use my plane and get her there with time to spare.”

Max gave him a stern look. “I thought you said it needed repair.”

Josh shrugged. “Nah, just a few minor adjustments. I took care of it yesterday.”

Taylor grimaced. Just what she needed—to squeeze into some small crop duster and put her life in the hands of this gamesome cowboy.

Max’s expression looked as if he mirrored her thoughts as he touched Taylor’s arm, but then he changed the subject. “Tell your mom I—” he paused and glanced at the other worried faces in the kitchen “—tell her we’ll all be praying for her.”

Taylor held his gaze a moment, certain he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. The women gave her a quick hug, and Josh tugged at her elbow. He winked and ushered Taylor outside, where his dusty red pickup was parked at a reckless angle. She settled quickly into the passenger seat and strapped herself in as Josh tossed her bags in the back and slid behind the wheel. He turned the key in the ignition and looked over at her.

“Don’t look so worried. I’m fast, but I’m safe.”

She bit her tongue and rolled her eyes. She wanted to say she’d heard that about him from too many coeds, and also at the hospital where she and Max worked when they weren’t at the clinic, but she decided now wasn’t the time.

Without waiting for a response, he threw the gearshift into reverse, spun into a half circle and sent gravel spitting in all directions as he barreled down the drive to the main gate and cut sharply onto the road heading north toward his hangar. Taylor gritted her teeth and clung to the armrest, telling herself speed was imperative, and that the roads were dry and safe.

Whatever anxiety she’d felt escalated when they stepped into Josh’s small Cessna and then taxied to the short grassy runway. She wanted to ask him how long he’d been doing this, but decided it was too late and she really didn’t want to know.

The takeoff was smooth and uneventful, and she started to relax. If her mind wasn’t elsewhere, she would have enjoyed the mountains on the horizon and the patchwork fields of vivid color below. It was a beautiful day in May by anyone’s standards. The sun shone bright in the awesome big skies she’d come to love. On a wistful sigh she remembered that when she was a little girl in Ann Arbor this was just the kind of day her mother had described. It was Mom’s stories of her own youth, growing up in Montana and getting her nursing degree from Montana State, that had compelled Taylor to enroll at her mother’s alma mater and see for herself the grandeur of this magnificent part of the country.

Taylor leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Mom had been right. It was gorgeous out here. But at times like this, she wished Michigan wasn’t so far away.

Please, God, give Mama the strength to hold on.

She felt a tear trickle down her cheek, and she dug for a tissue in her purse, wiping her face quickly and blowing her nose.

“I hope everything works out okay,” Josh said.

She wadded the tissue and shoved it into her jeans pocket, realizing for the first time that she still wore her white jacket from the clinic. “Me, too,” she said, and shrugged out of it.

“Would you like some music? I have tapes and headphones.” He half shouted over the steady roar of the engine.

She eyed him curiously, surprised at his suddenly somber demeanor. “No, but thank you,” she said after a moment. He looked distracted by private thoughts and she wondered where he was.

“Has your mom been sick for a while?” Josh glanced over, then back to the vast blue sky.

She wished he would stop talking. She wasn’t in the mood for idle chatter. Still, she was indebted to him for his help, so she answered him with as few words as possible. “Mom was in an auto accident when I was in nursery school. Got pretty banged up. Broke one arm and leg...and lost a kidney. She was in the hospital a long time and then physical therapy after that.”

“Is that how you became interested in PT?”

“Yeah, I guess it was.” She exhaled loudly, deciding to mollify him and hoping a little conversation might pass time. She felt a slow smile curve her lips as she thought more about his question. “I remember playing nurse with my dolls. I was so proud of Mom and loved to see her in those white uniforms. But after helping her with her exercises when she got home... well, I saw how much it made a difference. She recovered completely and was able to return to work. I thought—” she felt the lump at the back of her throat again “—I hoped it would never come to this, though.”

“This?”

“She’s in renal failure... the other kidney—” She turned back to the side window and swallowed hard.

“Is she a candidate for a transplant?”

“She’s on the list, but the timing...” Taylor heaved a sigh and decided to tell Josh what was really on her mind. Maybe saying it out loud would give her more confidence. “If there isn’t a donor by the time I get there, I’m giving Mom one of mine.”

She glanced at him, half expecting him to argue the dangers. His jaw muscles knotted and he didn’t comment for the longest time. Then he said, “I wish I could’ve done something to help my mother.”

Taylor stared at him, waiting for more, but nothing came. It was common knowledge at the hospital that Max was widowed, yet she’d never been sure what had happened. How could Josh have helped her? There had been gossip about a possible suicide, but no one seemed certain. It had occurred years before her arrival on campus, and Dr. Max Malone wasn’t one to provide grist for the rumor mill. His private life was just that.

Whether in the classroom or seeing to patients at the hospital or his home clinic, Max was all business. He had a tender and caring heart, but beyond that, he was pretty tight-lipped. If Mom hadn’t told her stories of the techniques he’d pioneered in orthopedic surgery at the University of Michigan Hospital, Taylor might never have known what a remarkable doctor he was. She’d been truly lucky to have such a man as her mentor.

Suddenly Josh pasted on a toothy smile and looked her way, putting aside whatever had been churning behind his troubled blue-gray eyes. “You’re a brave woman, Taylor Phillips.”

She chuckled softly. “I don’t know about that. I try not to think of the surgery and afterward. I just know I have to do something.” He winked at her in that roguish way of his and returned his attention to the skies ahead, falling silent once again.

Why did he play these constant games? For a while she’d thought she’d seen a glimpse of the real man, but the curtain had closed. Once again he took on the air of a carefree playboy and she felt a wave of disappointment, not certain why. Curious, she studied his sun-streaked sandy hair, which hung carelessly over the collar of his aviator jacket, and she wondered if he worked at this unruly look or if it came naturally with his behavior.

He banked the plane unexpectedly, and she jerked against her seat belt. Annoyed she turned her head and muttered caustically under her breath. “Fast with cars, planes and women. What a man!”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing. I—” The single engine sputtered and the nose dipped radically. She gripped her armrests. “What was that?”

He leveled the plane, seeming unconcerned. “She’s an old plane. Don’t worry about it. Everything’s okay.”

She spotted the airport just ahead and wished they were on the ground safely.

“Next time I take you for a ride, I’ll have my new plane and you won’t look so worried.”

She crossed her arms and tried to relax, glad the engine noise had returned to normal and that they had begun their descent.

A new plane, she thought. Must be nice. Here she would be paying on student loans well into the twenty-first century, and this guy’s talking about buying a plane as if it were no bigger deal than a pair of boots. She’d been right to think he was a self-centered, spoiled—

“Will you call and let us know how your mom is doing?”

Taylor stared at him a moment. Who was this man? And why was she even wasting time trying to figure him out?

Josh glanced over when she didn’t answer.

“Y-yes. Sure.” She closed her mouth and watched the smooth landing, shrugging all thoughts of Joshua Malone from her head and worrying once again about the days ahead.

She would make her plane without a problem. If only there wasn’t a layover in Minneapolis—it would take at least another seven hours until she reached her mother’s side.

Please, God. Don’t let me be too late.

Josh helped her down the steps and carried her bags across the tarmac to the terminal. Taylor seemed a million miles away and he understood. He wished he could think of appropriate words to comfort her, but he remembered hearing all the platitudes after his mother’s death and how he’d felt. So he remained silent and walked alongside her to the gate.

He stayed with Taylor until her row was called, then he wished her good luck and watched her move gracefully down the jetway.

A feeling of anxiety stirred behind his rib cage. He didn’t know why or when the game had changed, but he knew it had. Taylor Phillips was no longer just another challenge. He was starting to care about this woman—what made her tick, what would happen to her in Ann Arbor, and when would she return?

He spun on his heel and strode toward the exit.

How had he let this happen?

Two

The men’s room door opened ahead of Taylor as she neared the entrance to Intensive Care, and the sad figure of John Phillips emerged. At first he didn’t notice her, his head down, shoulders rounded, no doubt from fatigue as well as worry.

“Dad!” She moved quickly to him and welcomed his warm embrace. He squeezed her tight, and for the longest time said nothing. Over her father’s shoulder she said gently, “It’s going to be okay, Dad. I’ve made a decision.”

He stepped back and eyed her curiously, his face looking more lined than she’d ever remembered. Taylor took him by the shoulders and stared into his weary dark eyes, hoping to instill a measure of hope in him. “I’m going to give Mom one of my kidneys.” He started to shake his head, but she stilled it between her hands. “There’s no point arguing with me. While I’m seeing Mom, would you try finding her doctor...have him paged, if need be.” She looked around them and added, “Where’s Michael?”

“Your brother’s in the chapel.” He stared at the tile floor. “Sweetheart—”

“Please, Dad. Just find the doctor. Let’s not waste time.” She kissed his cheek as if he’d agreed and then punched the metal square on the wall. The large double doors to ICU swung open and she raced to the desk beyond.

“I’m here to see Angela Phillips. I’m her daughter.”

“Room six to the right...but you can only stay a few minutes.”

“Thank you.” She tore around the corner, found the room and came to an abrupt stop in the doorway. Tubes ran to bags and monitors in all directions. She’d seen it hundreds of times before, but none had been her mother...except for that one time years ago after the car wreck. Then, like now, Mom seemed so frail and vulnerable, so unlike the vibrant and energetic woman she had always been.